The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)

Planned new visitor levy could be a ‘force for good’ says minister

A new visitor levy in Scotland could be a “force for good” for the country’s tourism industry, a minister has said.

Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur spoke out as MSPs approved the general principles of a Bill which would empower councils to introduce such a levy, also known as a tourist tax.

If fully approved by Holyrood, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill would allow local authoritie­s to introduce a charge on overnight visitor stays, with the cash raised to be used to benefit tourists.

The City of Edinburgh Council has said it wants to be the first city in the UK to introduce the fee.

And Mr Arthur told MSPs the legislatio­n will give councils a “significan­t” new power.

He said: “Twenty-one out of 27 EU countries already have some kind of visitor levy, and they are commonplac­e in other locations throughout the world.

“I strongly believe a visitor levy can be a force for good, supporting the visitor economy, and bringing benefits to residents and businesses.”

Mr Arthur said the government will consider calls from industry for the levy to be a flat rate fee rather than a percentage of the cost.

It will apply to those in hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, self-catering accommodat­ion, campsites and caravan parks.

Wild campers and people in motorhomes and camper vans who pitch elsewhere will not be liable to pay it.

Exemptions include homeless accommodat­ion or those fleeing domestic abuse, the minister said.

Tory Miles Briggs said: “We’re opposed to the SNP/Green Government’s plans to introduce this Visitor Levy Bill. We believe this can have a real negative impact on industry which has suffered, especially during the time of the pandemic.”

The Scottish Government agreed to bring forward the legislatio­n as part of a budget deal agreed with the Greens in 2019.

Green MSP Ross Greer said: “It’s an entirely reasonable principle that the body providing public toilets, bin collection­s, leisure facilities and all sorts of other services which tourists make use of is able to recoup those costs.”

“Bringing benefits to residents and businesses