Newly appointed Chair Julie Ashworth has selected 12 Edinburgh individuals to form the city's first Visitor Levy Advisory Forum.
Bringing experience from the third sector to academia, the hotels industry to local communities, the Forum met for the first time to receive a briefing on the Edinburgh Visitor Levy.
Each member has been interviewed by the Chair and joins the Forum as an individual who is able to bring a broad range of personal expertise and background to the group, rather than a representative for their current organisation.
It is expected that the Forum will meet at least twice a year. They will advise Councillors as they agree final details of how the proceeds of the scheme will be invested before it launches next summer. Forum members will also discuss and provide feedback on the efficiency of the scheme and advise the Council on any recommended modifications when it is reviewed after three years.
The appointments to the Visitor Levy Advisory Forum are:
- Lori Anderson, Director of Festivals Edinburgh
- Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours and Co-chair of Edinburgh's Living Wage Action Group
- Garry Clark, Development Manager, East of Scotland for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and member of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group
- Audrey Cumberford, Principal and Chief Executive of Edinburgh College
- Fran van Dijk, B-Corp Ambassador for B Lab UK and Advisory Board member of Green Element
- Neil Ellis, Chair of Edinburgh Hotels Association and member of the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group
- Euan Hamilton, Equality and Rights Network Development Worker for Volunteer Edinburgh
- Terry Levinthal, Director of the Cockburn Association
- Graeme Smith, Regional Industrial Officer, Unite the Union
- Douglas Tharby, Deputy Chair of the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils
- Kirsten Urquhart, Chief Executive of Young Scot
- Alex Williamson, Chief Executive of Scottish Rugby.
Julie Ashworth, Chair of the Visitor Levy Advisory Forum, said:
Edinburgh's visitor levy scheme has been shaped by years of debate and views from all sectors and communities, and it is in this spirit I've appointed a group of people with fantastic experience and expertise from different fields and from civic life. I'm confident we have a really strong Forum in place and we're excited to get to work.
Our introductory meeting focussed on ensuring that all members are up to speed with the Edinburgh Visitor Levy scheme, and the requirements of the group itself. Now that Forum members are familiar with this, the real work of advising the Council on levy matters can begin.
With just over a year to go until the levy is launched, it will be our job to fairly and accurately represent the views of the city, and to encourage the Council at all stages to take these views into account. I'm grateful to every member for coming on board.
Council Leader Jane Meagher added:
I’m delighted that mere weeks after her appointment as Chair, Julie has established a full Visitor Levy Advisory Forum.
Edinburgh's upcoming levy will provide us with a once in a lifetime opportunity for raising much needed funds for the city. Important decisions will need to be taken on how this money is spent so that visitors and residents can benefit, so I'm pleased to see a balanced and broad range of views represented on the Advisory Forum.
"These are individuals with great knowledge about their industries and the city, and I understand they’ve had a productive first meeting. I look forward to their input as we prepare to launch Scotland's first visitor levy next summer.