Latest news with #VisitorLevy
Cambrian News
2 days ago
- Business
- Cambrian News
Senedd to vote later today on controversial tourism tax plan
Chair of the Wales Tourism Alliance, Llanrhystud businessman, Rowland Rees-Evans, said: "The tourism and hospitality industry contributes billions of pounds annually to the Welsh economy and employs over 11 per cent of the working population and the Wales Tourism Alliance does not believe that a Visitor Levy is the right solution for Wales.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
West Lothian visitor levy scheme could potentially bring in more than £1m a year
A visitor levy scheme for West Lothian could potentially bring in more than £1m a year into council coffers. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... But while councillors welcomed the start of consultations agreed this week, the Tories branded the proposals a tourist tax which would hit local business and discourage visitors. And councillors were concerned as officers offered a cautious two year path to an actual introduction following a similar decision taken by the council in Edinburgh last month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Councillor Sally Pattle, Lib Dem, Linithgow, asked how soon the levy could be introduced. 'How urgently are we moving on this, what is the time line given this is an easy revenue stream we can capitalise on.' A report to West Lothian's Executive outlined potential income based on the 298,000 visitors who stayed in the county in 2024 The meeting heard that there are statutory guidelines on the introduction of a levy demanding clear consultation. 'Are those conversations taking place already?' asked Councillor Pattle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jim Henderson, Business development manager said the conversation was in the early stages. Edinburgh last month agreed to impose a 5% levy from next summer. Glasgow, Argyll and Bute, and Aberdeen are all now in formal consultation stage. Other councils such as East Lothian, Stirling, Dumfries & Galloway, and others have been given approval for 'early engagement' work. Many cities across Europe now have visitor levies in place. A report to West Lothian's Executive outlined potential income based on the 298,000 visitors who stayed in the county in 2024. The most expensive accommodation, with an average spend of £100 per person per night would generate £1,342, 800 at a 5% levy. The lowest proposed levy of 2% would generate more than £500,000 in the most expensive accommodation. In a report to the Executive, Stewart Ness, Tourism and Town Centre Manager said: 'Whilst Visitor Levy is historically considered in areas of 'over-tourism', such as Edinburgh, it may be inappropriate to argue that this applies across West Lothian where some areas might benefit from an increase in visitors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There could be a risk that West Lothian is 'left behind' by neighbouring local authority areas that do use the ring-fenced funds raised through the introduction of a Visitor Levy to invest in tourism in their areas.' Stressing the need to establish consultation with local businesses Mr Ness added: 'Local authorities are encouraged to conduct early engagement before entering the consultation phase . 'Although not statutory, this engagement phase is considered by the guidance to be best practice. Learning from other local authorities' areas who have undergone the process is available and this could be used to guide the process in West Lothian. 'By engaging with the tourism businesses in this collaborative fashion, it will increase understanding for the scheme amongst those who will be responsible for collecting the levy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'By using already established networks, such as Visit West Lothian and Business Gateway, it should increase the participation rates of businesses in the engagement.' However Conservative group leader Damian Doran-Timson criticised a move to what he called a tourist tax which could damage local business. In an amendment he said: 'Given the importance of this tax on business and the negative impact this is likely to have on the tourist economy across West Lothian it is vital that all West Lothian Councillors are involved in the decision making on this extra tax.' The amendment welcomed the decision to engage with those in the tourism industry and added: ' [We] trust the Council will ensure those who will have to administrate the scheme are fully advised of the processes involved and the implications.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He told the meeting: 'This is a tax on people, a tax on businesses and a tax in individuals.' The amendment called for any future decision on the implementation of a levy to come back to full council because all councillors would have businesses in their areas which could be affected. The SNP group leader Janet Campbell welcomed the report but said : ' It doesn't seem to be moving forward at a pace we would have expected and, given that we are looking at more than £1m, which would almost cover the savings to be made on the community centres. It seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.' Councillor Pattle said: ' I welcome this report, but I have concerns about the lack of urgency, I hope that we are able to move forward with this easy income strategy at pace.' In a vote Councillor Doran-Timson's amendment demanding later decisions come to full council rather than the executive was defeated along with a similar amendment from the SNP.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Bid to halt Edinburgh George Street revamp defeated
A bid to scrap the £35 million plans to revamp Edinburgh's George Street has been rejected by councillors. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The city's transport and environment committee voted down a Tory proposal that because of the lack of any confirmed funding for the project, the council should opt for a maintenance-only approach instead. The George Street plans are to remove parking and reroute buses, turning it into a pedestrian and cycle zone with vehicles excluded for most of the day. Pavements are to be widened and trees planted at each end of the street, along with planters and benches. The full revamp of George Street would see the current parking down the centre of the street removed, buses rerouted, the pavement widened and vehicles excluded for most of the day. | supplied Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad City Centre Tory councillor Joanna Mowat said: 'The elephant in the room is we still don't have any money and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a single shovel in the ground.' She said a report to the committee made clear it would cost £10.5m to carry out maintenance to bring George Street up to standard. And she argued that could be paid for with the parking revenue from the street of £3.2m a year. 'We should just be realistic - that's what we've got, that's what we can afford, let's do the maintenance schedule from the parking income rather than having a £35m fantasy budget. 'I don't see, given the financial climate we're in and the pressures on government funding, that we're suddenly going to get this money.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But officers said a 'do minimum' scheme would not meet the criteria for external funding. And committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'It's perfectly normal not to have all the funds sitting in a bank account ready to be spent. As you move through developing a project, at various different stages you will draw down funding both internal and external.' Some of the money for the George Street revamp is likely to come from the city's planned Visitor Levy; there could also be contributions from developers; and the main source is expected to be various Scottish Government and Transport Scotland funding channels. The committee agreed to proceed with the full scheme to the next stage, advertising the road traffic orders, while keeping options open for future cost savings, for example by changing some of the materials. But it was agreed to rule out two 'do minimum' options - the maintenance-only proposal advocated by the Tories and another which would include the removal of parking. However, SNP transport spokesman Neil Gardiner said: 'This project needs a lot of scrutiny. Until we understand the money side of it we should not be taking any of the options off at this stage.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said it was possible the money could be better used elsewhere. "We will make our decision on whether to proceed or not on the basis of future reports." Lib Dem councillor Hal Osler said she was ' deeply concerned' about the level of funding. She said: 'Of course, as a council, we should have aspiration and we should bring forward something that isn't just a 'do minimum' approach. But we have to be realistic about the situation we're in and this is public funding. We do have to make a decision whether it is actually going to be worth spending £35m on something.' Green councillor Chas Booth said: 'We share a lot of people's concerns about the cost of this project but the question is: What do we do about that? 'The Conservative position is to say 'Scrap the whole scheme' - but we've heard from officers that might actually increase the financial exposure of the council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We've heard there is the potential for external funding if we proceed with this scheme and I think that's the right thing to do. And we've heard from officers that, if that financing is not available they will come back to us for a further decision.' The George Street Association, which represents the street's businesses and other organisations, gave its backing to the full revamp. In a written submission, association chair Dr William Duncan said the other options simply deferred essential infrastructure work that will need to be done He said: 'George Street should look and operate very much better than it currently does. Planning its transformation has been under discussion for far too many years and it needs to move forward at pace to deliver the high-quality changes needed for the future success of this iconic 'go to place,' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We do not agree with those who might want to put this project on hold or not to proceed, because the physical condition of the public realm in George Street has deteriorated due to lack of investment for decades, meaning that status quo is not an acceptable or credible alternative. 'The need has gone beyond a facelift – the street needs major work done and the longer this is delayed the more extensive and expensive it will be.' Afterwards, Cllr Jenkinson said he was pleased the committee had agreed to move forward with the project. "This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. "The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre.'
Edinburgh Reporter
25-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Tourist tax could generate £1m income in West Lothian
A visitor levy scheme for West Lothian could potentially bring in more than £1m a year into council coffers. But while councillors welcomed the start of consultations agreed this week, the Tories branded the proposals a tourist tax which would hit local business and discourage visitors. And councillors were concerned as officers offered a cautious two-year path to an actual introduction following a similar decision taken by the council in Edinburgh last month. Councillor Sally Pattle, Lib Dem, Linithgow, asked how soon the levy could be introduced. 'How urgently are we moving on this, what is the timeline given this is an easy revenue stream we can capitalise on.' The meeting heard that there are statutory guidelines on the introduction of a levy demanding clear consultation. 'Are those conversations taking place already?' asked Councillor Pattle. Jim Henderson, Business development manager said the conversation was in the early stages. Edinburgh last month agreed to impose a 5% levy from next summer. Glasgow, Argyll and Bute, and Aberdeen are all now in formal consultation stage. Other councils such as East Lothian, Stirling, Dumfries & Galloway, and others have been given approval for 'early engagement' work. Many cities across Europe now have visitor levies in place. A report to West Lothian's Executive outlined potential income based on the 298,000 visitors who stayed in the county in 2024. The most expensive accommodation, with an average spend of £100 per person per night would generate £1,342, 800 at a 5% levy. The lowest proposed levy of 2% would generate more than £500,000 in the most expensive accommodation. In a report to the Executive, Stewart Ness, Tourism and Town Centre Manager said: 'Whilst Visitor Levy is historically considered in areas of 'over-tourism', such as Edinburgh, it may be inappropriate to argue that this applies across West Lothian where some areas might benefit from an increase in visitors. 'There could be a risk that West Lothian is 'left behind' by neighbouring local authority areas that do use the ring-fenced funds raised through the introduction of a Visitor Levy to invest in tourism in their areas.' Stressing the need to establish consultation with local businesses Mr Ness added: 'Local authorities are encouraged to conduct early engagement before entering the consultation phase. 'Although not statutory, this engagement phase is considered by the guidance to be best practice. Learning from other local authorities' areas who have undergone the process is available and this could be used to guide the process in West Lothian. 'By engaging with the tourism businesses in this collaborative fashion, it will increase understanding for the scheme amongst those who will be responsible for collecting the levy. 'By using already established networks, such as Visit West Lothian and Business Gateway, it should increase the participation rates of businesses in the engagement.' However Conservative group leader Damian Doran-Timson criticised a move to what he called a tourist tax which could damage local business. In an amendment he said: 'Given the importance of this tax on business and the negative impact this is likely to have on the tourist economy across West Lothian it is vital that all West Lothian Councillors are involved in the decision making on this extra tax.' The amendment welcomed the decision to engage with those in the tourism industry and added: '[We] trust the Council will ensure those who will have to administrate the scheme are fully advised of the processes involved and the implications.' He told the meeting: 'This is a tax on people, a tax on businesses and a tax in individuals.' The amendment called for any future decision on the implementation of a levy to come back to full council because all councillors would have businesses in their areas which could be affected. The SNP group leader Janet Campbell welcomed the report but said: 'It doesn't seem to be moving forward at a pace we would have expected and, given that we are looking at more than £1m, which would almost cover the savings to be made on the community centres. It seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.' Councillor Pattle said: ' I welcome this report, but I have concerns about the lack of urgency, I hope that we are able to move forward with this easy income strategy at pace.' In a vote Councillor Doran-Timson's amendment demanding later decisions come to full council rather than the executive was defeated along with a similar amendment from the SNP. By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Daily Record
25-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
West Lothian 'tourist tax' could bring in £1m as council urged to push forward
But while councillors welcomed the start of consultations agreed this week, the Tories branded the proposals a tourist tax which would hit local business and discourage visitors. A visitor levy scheme for West Lothian could potentially bring in more than £1m a year into council coffers. But while councillors welcomed the start of consultations agreed this week, the Tories branded the proposals a tourist tax which would hit local business and discourage visitors. And councillors were concerned as officers offered a cautious two year path to an actual introduction following a similar decision taken by the council in Edinburgh last month. Councillor Sally Pattle, Lib Dem, Linlithgow, asked how soon the levy could be introduced. 'How urgently are we moving on this, what is the time line given this is an easy revenue stream we can capitalise on.' The meeting heard that there are statutory guidelines on the introduction of a levy demanding clear consultation. 'Are those conversations taking place already?' asked Councillor Pattle. Jim Henderson, Business development manager said the conversation was in the early stages. Edinburgh last month agreed to impose a five per cent levy from next summer. Glasgow, Argyll and Bute, and Aberdeen are all now in formal consultation stage. Other councils such as East Lothian, Stirling, Dumfries & Galloway, and others have been given approval for 'early engagement' work. Many cities across Europe now have visitor levies in place. A report to West Lothian's Executive outlined potential income based on the 298,000 visitors who stayed in the county in 2024. The most expensive accommodation, with an average spend of £100 per person per night would generate £1,342, 800 at a five per cent levy. The lowest proposed levy of two per cent would generate more than £500,000 in the most expensive accommodation. In a report to the Executive, Stewart Ness, Tourism and Town Centre Manager said: 'Whilst Visitor Levy is historically considered in areas of 'over-tourism', such as Edinburgh, it may be inappropriate to argue that this applies across West Lothian where some areas might benefit from an increase in visitors. 'There could be a risk that West Lothian is 'left behind' by neighbouring local authority areas that do use the ring-fenced funds raised through the introduction of a Visitor Levy to invest in tourism in their areas.' Stressing the need to establish consultation with local businesses Mr Ness added: 'Local authorities are encouraged to conduct early engagement before entering the consultation phase. 'Although not statutory, this engagement phase is considered by the guidance to be best practice. Learning from other local authorities' areas who have undergone the process is available and this could be used to guide the process in West Lothian. 'By engaging with the tourism businesses in this collaborative fashion, it will increase understanding for the scheme amongst those who will be responsible for collecting the levy. 'By using already established networks, such as Visit West Lothian and Business Gateway, it should increase the participation rates of businesses in the engagement.' However Conservative group leader Damian Doran-Timson criticised a move to what he called a tourist tax which could damage local business. In an amendment he said: 'Given the importance of this tax on business and the negative impact this is likely to have on the tourist economy across West Lothian it is vital that all West Lothian Councillors are involved in the decision making on this extra tax.' The amendment welcomed the decision to engage with those in the tourism industry and added: ' [We] trust the Council will ensure those who will have to administrate the scheme are fully advised of the processes involved and the implications.' He told the meeting: 'This is a tax on people, a tax on businesses and a tax in individuals.' The amendment called for any future decision on the implementation of a levy to come back to full council because all councillors would have businesses in their areas which could be affected. The SNP group leader Janet Campbell welcomed the report but said : ' It doesn't seem to be moving forward at a pace we would have expected and, given that we are looking at more than £1m, which would almost cover the savings to be made on the community centres. It seems to be a bit of a no-brainer.' Councillor Pattle said: ' I welcome this report, but I have concerns about the lack of urgency, I hope that we are able to move forward with this easy income strategy at pace.' In a vote Councillor Doran-Timson's amendment demanding later decisions come to full council rather than the executive was defeated along with a similar amendment from the SNP.
