Edinburgh to tax tourists for overnight stays
Discussion
“Edinburgh to tax tourists for overnight stays” CNN
Local politicians in Edinburgh have approved a tourist tax for visitors staying overnight the Scottish capital, introducing the first charge of its kind in the United Kingdom.
From mid-2026, visitors staying in certain types of accommodation, such a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel, self-catering apartment or guest house, will be charged a fee of 5% of their accommodation cost per night. The charge is capped at five consecutive nights, according to the local authority.
Accommodation providers will be responsible for collecting the fee. The council expects the new fee to raise £45-50 million ($56-62 million) a year by 2028 or 2029. lf of the authority.
I doubt 5% will make a difference to visitor numbers, but as we know once councils /government identify a new revenue stream there’s no holding them back. Obviously, like other charges, it won’t be long before other councils jump on the bandwagon, how long before 5% becomes 10% and so on, milk that cow!
Local politicians in Edinburgh have approved a tourist tax for visitors staying overnight the Scottish capital, introducing the first charge of its kind in the United Kingdom.
From mid-2026, visitors staying in certain types of accommodation, such a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel, self-catering apartment or guest house, will be charged a fee of 5% of their accommodation cost per night. The charge is capped at five consecutive nights, according to the local authority.
Accommodation providers will be responsible for collecting the fee. The council expects the new fee to raise £45-50 million ($56-62 million) a year by 2028 or 2029. lf of the authority.
I doubt 5% will make a difference to visitor numbers, but as we know once councils /government identify a new revenue stream there’s no holding them back. Obviously, like other charges, it won’t be long before other councils jump on the bandwagon, how long before 5% becomes 10% and so on, milk that cow!
Had this in manchester recently. Was down there for work but got stung with a tourist tax on check in that wasnt explicitly itemised when booking the room.
The place was an absolute s
thole. What tourist in their right mind would pay to visit cheetham fking hill?
Is manchester not in the united kingdom?
Mind you the part we were working in didnt look like it.
The place was an absolute s
thole. What tourist in their right mind would pay to visit cheetham fking hill?Is manchester not in the united kingdom?
Mind you the part we were working in didnt look like it.
Edited by OldGermanHeaps on Saturday 25th January 14:24
I don't think it will make a blind bit of difference to visitor numbers.
Plenty other countries and cities charge tourist taxes and I've paid them - I didn't filter destination by those that don't tax. Some I didn't realise until I got there (Madeira last October)
It just becomes part of the total cost of visiting when you are looking at options, like sales tax and resort fees in the US.
I go through to Edinburgh from Glasgow a couple of times a year for overnight stays for concerts, I don't think it'll be the difference between me going or not going.
Plenty other countries and cities charge tourist taxes and I've paid them - I didn't filter destination by those that don't tax. Some I didn't realise until I got there (Madeira last October)
It just becomes part of the total cost of visiting when you are looking at options, like sales tax and resort fees in the US.
I go through to Edinburgh from Glasgow a couple of times a year for overnight stays for concerts, I don't think it'll be the difference between me going or not going.
yellowbentines said:
I don't think it will make a blind bit of difference to visitor numbers.
Plenty other countries and cities charge tourist taxes and I've paid them - I didn't filter destination by those that don't tax. Some I didn't realise until I got there (Madeira last October)
It just becomes part of the total cost of visiting when you are looking at options, like sales tax and resort fees in the US.
I go through to Edinburgh from Glasgow a couple of times a year for overnight stays for concerts, I don't think it'll be the difference between me going or not going.
Exactly - Edinburgh hotel prices are already epically high, and highly variable, few are going to notice or be deterred.Plenty other countries and cities charge tourist taxes and I've paid them - I didn't filter destination by those that don't tax. Some I didn't realise until I got there (Madeira last October)
It just becomes part of the total cost of visiting when you are looking at options, like sales tax and resort fees in the US.
I go through to Edinburgh from Glasgow a couple of times a year for overnight stays for concerts, I don't think it'll be the difference between me going or not going.
I agree 5% isn’t going to make little difference; however, councillors have already expressed the opinion that 5% is not enough, so we can be sure that will rise in the not too distant future.
Tourism tax is widespread in Europe, in some countries that has been the case for a long time, it’s just accepted as part of culture, it’s a levy, not new cash grab.
I understand some location are suffering from chronic over-tourism, taxes are being introduced in attempt to curb that. I am rather cynical of taxes being used to resolve the problem.
In Scotland, the constant use of taxes to supposedly alleviate problems, seems little more than a revenue generating exercise, London ULEZ I understand, Inverness ULEZ, is like having a no urinating section in a swimming pool.
A quick comparison of hotels, ‘Ibis’, reveals Edinburgh prices are slightly higher than Paris and significantly higher than Berlin, obviously that reflects the operating environment.
Once Edinburgh has introduced the tax, how long before other municipalities follow suit!
Tourism tax is widespread in Europe, in some countries that has been the case for a long time, it’s just accepted as part of culture, it’s a levy, not new cash grab.
I understand some location are suffering from chronic over-tourism, taxes are being introduced in attempt to curb that. I am rather cynical of taxes being used to resolve the problem.
In Scotland, the constant use of taxes to supposedly alleviate problems, seems little more than a revenue generating exercise, London ULEZ I understand, Inverness ULEZ, is like having a no urinating section in a swimming pool.
A quick comparison of hotels, ‘Ibis’, reveals Edinburgh prices are slightly higher than Paris and significantly higher than Berlin, obviously that reflects the operating environment.
Once Edinburgh has introduced the tax, how long before other municipalities follow suit!
Getragdogleg said:
Come here illegally and you stay for free and get private health care but live here and go to another town to visit and get stiffed with a charge/tax on top of the hotel bill.
Sounds like a great way for the government to grab more money to pay for the first lot I mentioned.
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/asylum-seekers-not-getting-free-private-healthcare-contrary-online-claims-2024-12-13/Sounds like a great way for the government to grab more money to pay for the first lot I mentioned.
Alex Z said:
Getragdogleg said:
Come here illegally and you stay for free and get private health care but live here and go to another town to visit and get stiffed with a charge/tax on top of the hotel bill.
Sounds like a great way for the government to grab more money to pay for the first lot I mentioned.
https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/asylum-seekers-not-getting-free-private-healthcare-contrary-online-claims-2024-12-13/Sounds like a great way for the government to grab more money to pay for the first lot I mentioned.
Your link even says it's a public funding of private health care via the NHS. So yes, my point stands and this hotel levy/fee/tax is yet another way to extract money from us.
Don't argue with this or try to paint me as some kind of racist, I know it is happening and is an NHS policy.
NHS giving asylum seekers priority care to 'address inequalities' as waiting lists pile up - LBC https://search.app/EqGww6uEyd5nBrnm9
Edited by Getragdogleg on Sunday 26th January 08:19
Edited by Getragdogleg on Sunday 26th January 08:25
In principle I don't object to a tourist tax being levied to pay for the infrastructure that tourists are using. In France all of the departments can charge tourist tax, and the money is to be used to fund improvements to encourgage tourism (and maintain them, I guess). Problems I see with Edinburgh are the money is likely to be used to "fill" existing local authority budget black holes, and the rate is going right in at the highest I've ever paid, I think, anywhere.
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