FOURTEEN British cities are eyeing up a new “tourist tax” meaning tourists and Brits heading on staycations will face paying hundreds more for their trip.
This comes as Andy Burnham approved the plans yesterday (September 10) to add five per cent to overnight stays.
Yesterday, the prime minister announced plans to allow mayors to impose an uncapped charge on overnight stays, although Labour mayors have pledged to cap the new fee at 5 per cent or below.
The additional fee would be added to hotel bills, and apply to those staying overnight in hotels and holiday lets including Airbnb and guesthouses.
All visitors, regardless of nationality and reason for visit, will have to pay it. It will be uncapped, meaning mayors can choose how much to charge.
The money would then be used to fund local amenities such as public transport and infrastructure.
Cities and regions that may soon introduce the additional charge include London, Liverpool, Bristol and Bath.
As well as cultural hubs such as Durham, Manchester, York and Newcastle.
Earlier, the government had promised to protect budget holidays “by making sure low-cost accommodation always pays lowest levy” and said the extra cash would be invested in high streets.
However, the chief executive of UKHospitality, Allen Simpson, warned the BBC that the new charge could add nearly £100 to £120 to the average cost of a UK family holiday.
This also comes at a time where the hospitality industry has already suffered from rises to Employer National Insurance and the minimum wage, costing the sector billions.
However, these would not be the first regions in the UK to implement the new charge – which could come as early as 2028.
In Manchester, a “city visitor charge” of £1 per room per night already applies to some hotels, however the new tourist charge would replace it.
14 UK cities that may soon introduce a tourist charge
- London
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Salford
- Bristol
- Bath
- Leeds
- Bradford
- Wakefield
- Newcastle
- Sunderland
- Durham
- York
- Ripon