Scotland’s government has moved closer to introducing a tax on overnight stays in the country.
A bill to allow local councils to start collecting a “visitor levy” on overnight accommodation has been introduced in the Scottish Parliament.
If the measure is passed in the parliament, then councils will have the ability to apply a levy based on a percentage of the accommodation cost.
The bill stipulates that all money raised would have to be reinvested locally on facilities and services that are “substantially for or used” by visitors.
Under the plans, councils would be required to consult communities, businesses and tourism bodies before putting a levy in place. They would also have to launch a consultation on how any revenue raised from the levy will be spent.
Scotland’s public finance minister Tom Arthur said: “Levies on visitors staying in paid-for accommodation are already used around the world and it is reasonable for local areas to want a small contribution from tourists to help support and sustain visitor economies.”
The levy would be applied to “almost all types” of overnight accommodation including hotels and self-catering units.
The Scottish capital Edinburgh has been talking about the possibility of introducing a £2 per night visitor levy on overnight stays, while Manchester in England has already introduced a £1 per night charge on all accommodation bookings.