Edinburgh set to introduce tourist tax in bid to raise £50m a year
Edinburgh set to introduce tourist tax in bid to raise £50m a year
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Scotland’s first visitor levy could see tourists pay extra to stay from July 2026. Edinburgh is set to introduce a tourist tax on accommodation in a bid to raise up to £50 million a year towards improving the city. If agreed, from 24 July 2026, guests in the Scottish capital will have to pay a five per cent visitor levy to stay overnight.
Edinburgh will be the first city in Scotland to charge a mandatory city-wide levy – similar to schemes in European cities such as Amsterdam. Read more: The best hotels in Edinburgh. The city’s council approved the ‘Transient Visitor Levy’ proposal in August to charge visitors at hotels, B&Bs, campsites and holiday rentals let out through Airbnb five per cent of the cost per room per night.
The fee will be capped at five consecutive nights per person following a 12-week public consultation with over 4,500 responses. According to Edinburgh Council, temporary campsites and parks will be liable for the levy, and refunds will be issued within five working days for all exempt visitors to reflect public feedback.
The council is set to agree to the visitor levy scheme for Edinburgh later this month, with charges applied to accommodation bookings made on and after 1 May 2025 and after 24 July 2026. Summer is a busy time for tourism in Scotland as comedians flock to the capital for the Edinburgh Fringe festival.
