Tourist tax for Wales?
Discussion
Drakeford has announced he wants to overhaul council tax in Wales and also to introduce a tourist tax.
As with second home premiums, he plans to try to introduce it, but then leave it to local councils to apply, thus having the Senned being able to wash their hands of it, whilst the councils blame the Senned... deniability all around
https://www.thenational.wales/business/19385758.ma...
The Welsh Tourism Alliance don't like it either, saying it would make the industry less competitive, and make Wales seem more expensive compared to other UK destinations.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57526543
With foreign travel restricted this should be the perfect opportunity to bring money back into Welsh areas reliant on tourism after the significantly reduced income last year, not putting obstacles in the way.
Just to give you a clue how important it is, tourism is a key industry in Pembrokeshire and makes an important contribution to the local economy.
According to Pembrokeshire Tourism’s website “Tourism affects every type of business either directly or indirectly in Pembrokeshire. Our county’s economy benefits from an injection of around £585 million per year from tourism and supports around 16,000 FTE jobs annually”. The Office of National Statistics indicated in 2016 that 8,000 people in Pembrokeshire were employed in the accommodation and food service activities alone, which equates to 18.2% of all those in employment (Wales average is 8.9%)
Their campaign against motorists persuaded me to avoid the place as best I can & spend as little money there as possible.
This won't make it more attractive to me.
btw- What exactly would anyone get in exchange for this tax? Or is is just a shameless money-grab?
This won't make it more attractive to me.
btw- What exactly would anyone get in exchange for this tax? Or is is just a shameless money-grab?
Edited by Biggy Stardust on Friday 25th June 10:52
No details on how much a tax would be? Just an idea at the moment?
Agree with the OP though this year you need to be maxing out the visitor numbers not even suggesting such things it should be the biggest tourism year in record for the U.K. as next year everyone will be back to magaluf.
Agree with the OP though this year you need to be maxing out the visitor numbers not even suggesting such things it should be the biggest tourism year in record for the U.K. as next year everyone will be back to magaluf.
There was talk of this happening in Edinburgh as well, but I don't think it went anywhere.
I know I've paid tourist taxes when I've been abroad. I think in Spain & the US at least. TBH, is £1 or something a night, usually paid at the hotel check-in desk, likely to make someone change their mind about booking?
I know I've paid tourist taxes when I've been abroad. I think in Spain & the US at least. TBH, is £1 or something a night, usually paid at the hotel check-in desk, likely to make someone change their mind about booking?
alangla said:
There was talk of this happening in Edinburgh as well, but I don't think it went anywhere.
I know I've paid tourist taxes when I've been abroad. I think in Spain & the US at least. TBH, is £1 or something a night, usually paid at the hotel check-in desk, likely to make someone change their mind about booking?
I think thats the proposal, to be collected from the tourist at source, it's just the wrong time to be even mentioning it after such a terrible year last yearI know I've paid tourist taxes when I've been abroad. I think in Spain & the US at least. TBH, is £1 or something a night, usually paid at the hotel check-in desk, likely to make someone change their mind about booking?
Full disclosure I'm Welsh (living in England).
I think its a good idea IF the tax is distributed to local services such as waste collection and litter picking. During tourist season there is an influx of people who bring their rubbish and needs with them but the area doesn’t get an uplift in resources to deal with them. Popular parts of Snowdonia look like a rubbish tip after a busy weekend.
I think its a good idea IF the tax is distributed to local services such as waste collection and litter picking. During tourist season there is an influx of people who bring their rubbish and needs with them but the area doesn’t get an uplift in resources to deal with them. Popular parts of Snowdonia look like a rubbish tip after a busy weekend.
From what I've seen abroad, it seems to be applied at local council level, so presumably the cash goes straight to the council & can then be used to fund waste management & things like improving the local promenade etc. I guess the big issue is making sure that councils aren't daft enough to kill the goose that lays the golden egg - in areas where there's a lot of foreign tourism (London & Edinburgh for example) there will inevitably be temptation in the town halls to jack the prices right up assuming tourists will always pay whatever's asked.
Something fairly modest like £1-2/room/night could probably do wonders for the finances of local authorities like Blackpool I guess.
Something fairly modest like £1-2/room/night could probably do wonders for the finances of local authorities like Blackpool I guess.
Once covid is over overseas travel will once again be popular. However playing this right this year might convert some to do it more often / stay in Wales etc.
But litter collection needs to be sorted
Councils get loads of extra revenue from the parking as a start plus the ££ being spent in the locality supporting workers businesses
But litter collection needs to be sorted
Councils get loads of extra revenue from the parking as a start plus the ££ being spent in the locality supporting workers businesses
Why shouldn't people pay for all the facilities they use whilst having fun in wales. Snowdonia is a prime example, thousands visit on a nice weekend they leave a lot of rubbish, block the roads with bad parking etc. They just come walk up a hill or 2 and spend very little in the area, a small tax on accommodation or parking costs, even a turnstile on Snowdon's paths would help the locals cover these costs involved in maintaining and clearing up the area. I think it needs to happen.
Not sure what there is to object to here. It's just a proposal. The idea of allowing a local council to choose to levy a tourist tax that would be used to support tourism in their wards seems entirely reasonable. If you think it's appropriate for your district, you vote for councillors who support it. If you don't, you vote for those who oppose it. What's the problem with that?
ARHarh said:
Why shouldn't people pay for all the facilities they use whilst having fun in wales. Snowdonia is a prime example, thousands visit on a nice weekend they leave a lot of rubbish, block the roads with bad parking etc. They just come walk up a hill or 2 and spend very little in the area, a small tax on accommodation or parking costs, even a turnstile on Snowdon's paths would help the locals cover these costs involved in maintaining and clearing up the area. I think it needs to happen.
Is it free to use all the facilities in Wales ?Hotels, restaurants, equipment hire, parking, drinking ?
Sounds like you don’t want people to come and spend their money in Wales ?
ARHarh said:
Why shouldn't people pay for all the facilities they use whilst having fun in wales. Snowdonia is a prime example, thousands visit on a nice weekend they leave a lot of rubbish, block the roads with bad parking etc. They just come walk up a hill or 2 and spend very little in the area, a small tax on accommodation or parking costs, even a turnstile on Snowdon's paths would help the locals cover these costs involved in maintaining and clearing up the area. I think it needs to happen.
Bridal ways and coastal path are public right of access. Parking is ticketed - but clearly that means locals too (unless a season ticket discount).
sam.rog said:
Full disclosure I'm Welsh (living in England).
I think its a good idea IF the tax is distributed to local services such as waste collection and litter picking. During tourist season there is an influx of people who bring their rubbish and needs with them but the area doesn’t get an uplift in resources to deal with them. Popular parts of Snowdonia look like a rubbish tip after a busy weekend.
It could offset the lack of income in the down season when there's no one renting or using all those second homes/holiday cottagesI think its a good idea IF the tax is distributed to local services such as waste collection and litter picking. During tourist season there is an influx of people who bring their rubbish and needs with them but the area doesn’t get an uplift in resources to deal with them. Popular parts of Snowdonia look like a rubbish tip after a busy weekend.
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