Legislation to give Edinburgh and other Scottish local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy took another significant step forward on Tuesday (12 March).
If approved, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill will allow local authorities to introduce a charge on overnight visitor stays, with the funds raised to be used to benefit the local area and its visitor economy.
The timing of Stage 3 – a parliamentary debate and final vote involving all MSPs – has not yet been set but is expected to closely follow the Easter recess.
Also on Tuesday, the Council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee considered the results of an engagement exercise which revealed Edinburgh’s visitor levy proposals have the support of residents, visitors, and large parts of industry. The Council will publish its scheme later this year, ahead of formal consultation.
Welcoming this week’s progress, Council Leader Cammy Day said:
It’s great to finally see the Bill take another step through Parliament – and I welcome the continued support from MSPs across the chamber.
In particular, I welcome the Minister’s commitment to allow local flexibility in how we design the scheme – and how we invest the proceeds. And while I remain frustrated at his reluctance not to reduce the 18-month implementation period, particularly given the amount of consultation we’ve already done, I do acknowledge the additional time this will give the hospitality sector to prepare.
We’ve repeatedly and actively engaged with industry, as well as with residents, seeking views at various stages on the type of visitor levy Edinburgh needs and, as you can see from the most recent survey results, our plans continue to enjoy strong backing.
We’re rightly proud that Edinburgh is one of the world’s most popular visitor destinations, but we’re equally aware that this success comes at cost. That’s why we believe it’s right to ask visitors to make a small contribution towards maintaining and improving our beautiful Capital city.