Visitor Tax

[Giant Stoneater]

Recently there was the issue about parking charges at Arrochar,i wonder what peoples thoughts are on a Visitor Tax.
I just think it's another backdoor tax,if you take most major cities as a example where prices get hiked beyond belief constantly throughout the year depending on what events are on i think they have a cheek to demand more money.

http://www.cosla.gov.uk/cosla-transient-visitor-tax-tvt

[Sunset tripper]

I agree and prices must be a major factor already for tourists that are hiking, (especially in the highlands). The prices charged in Inverness for example are outrageous and quite often for poorer quality accomodation, charging 5 star prices for 2 star accomodation while still paying their staff the minimum wage. The west coast and Edinburgh is probably as bad with every room booked. I understand it is a seasonal industry but still I reckon many visitors must leave and never come back feeling they have been ripped off. I guess the argument is supply and demand which basically means take it or leave it. With the price of a room so high it will probably encourage the cheaper chains to build more hotels and drag the prices down to a more reasonable level and if there is a downturn the hotels that have been ripping off customers for years will get their pay back.

As for the tourist tax surely they are already paying that with 20% vat.

The good thing is camping is always an option for the visitor walking in the highlands and wild camping is free. Though I do wish people would take a bit more time and effort to choose their wild camp site as I see a lot more folk camped at the roadside these days. Always better to be out of site out of mind as we don't want the Loch Lomond scenario to spread.

[Caberfeidh]

I agree that it is just bloody rude to tax people for coming to visit us. It will simply put people off coming here. It is not just the cost, it is the feeling of being ripped off. We do need many more hotels, hostels, etc. but the planning dept seem hell-bent on stifling any development.

[Sgurr]

Hasn't Airbnb added a lot of accommodation? I was recently looking for somewhere to stay in Durness at short notice (a new Marilyn has popped up near Cape Wrath) and although all the regular B & Bs, hotels etc seemed full (North Coast 500) there was plenty going on Airbnb. Eventually husband did leg in, so going next year.

[rodderss]

Air bnb have there own tax, they add on 10-15% on top of what the owner charges .If searching on air bnb find accommodation once you see something you like Google it and book direct with the owner .owner will be 3% better off and you will be at least 10% better off.just a wè tip

[Soldier of fortune]

Took a look at Berlin's tourist tax, 5% of the net price and for a maximum of 21 nights, the tax is paid by the accommodation provider, not the tourist, and the provider is not allowed to bump the tourist for it.

[Soldier of fortune]

I have friends that let accommodation through Air bnb, best thing according to them is you don't pay any tax. Income tax perhaps!

[NickyRannoch]

The point of a city tax is that it goes directly to local services in that city/area.

A pound or two per night that would go directly to local services would make a huge difference and it doesn't seem to put anyone off anyone visiting Paris, Berlin or Rome.

The real issue is we have a ridiculously centralised system of taxation in this country where almost all tax goes to London, and soon a bit of that to Edinburgh.

Even the business rates someone in Portree pays goes to Inverness and accounts for a minimal proportion of Highland Council's budget.

So, if you feel your accommodation is already overpriced or people already pay VAT it's utterly irrelevant to the question of how places who have the biggest burden on services due to tourism pay for that as that money doesn't pay for any of that.

The other issue is most people in this country want Scandinavian services at US tax rates.

If you visit Arran you might be asked to pay a voluntary tourist tax of £1 per person.

Quite frankly if you can afford a £50-100 hotel in Portree you can afford an extra £2.50 - £5 per night to pay for the public amenities you are getting the use of.

[Sgurr]

I have friends that let accommodation through Air bnb, best thing according to them is you don't pay any tax. Income tax perhaps!

You are allowed to earn £7500 (net I think) by letting a room in your house before paying tax on it.

[rockhopper]

I watched an interview on this topic recently during which it was suggested that the UK VAT rate was already higher than other countries which have a visitor tax the implication being that an additional tax isn't justified. Interestingly I had a look at standard VAT rates across the EU and got the results as per the chart below. Most countries have other rates but I've stuck to the standard rate for comparison.

[rodderss]

I imagine most of Europe charge a visitor tax, i Italy its slightly fairer as it's based on a euro per star.
A visitor tax here would probably go un noticed as per Europe after the initial furore.

Problem with the beautiful parts of Scotland with all the hills is supply and demand meaning we get roasted for sub standard accommodation.The Macdonald hotels in Aviemore being a prime example.

[al78]

The point of a city tax is that it goes directly to local services in that city/area.

A pound or two per night that would go directly to local services would make a huge difference and it doesn't seem to put anyone off anyone visiting Paris, Berlin or Rome.

The real issue is we have a ridiculously centralised system of taxation in this country where almost all tax goes to London, and soon a bit of that to Edinburgh.

Even the business rates someone in Portree pays goes to Inverness and accounts for a minimal proportion of Highland Council's budget.

So, if you feel your accommodation is already overpriced or people already pay VAT it's utterly irrelevant to the question of how places who have the biggest burden on services due to tourism pay for that as that money doesn't pay for any of that.

The other issue is most people in this country want Scandinavian services at US tax rates.

If you visit Arran you might be asked to pay a voluntary tourist tax of £1 per person.

Quite frankly if you can afford a £50-100 hotel in Portree you can afford an extra £2.50 - £5 per night to pay for the public amenities you are getting the use of.

Careful you are at risk of causing outrage with an argument like that. Look at the Arrochar parking charges thread.

The fact is, people don't like being asked to pay more for things without any tangible evidence of getting something back, and accommodation (like most things in the UK) is already expensive.

[Skyelines]

The point of a city tax is that it goes directly to local services in that city/area.

A pound or two per night that would go directly to local services would make a huge difference and it doesn't seem to put anyone off anyone visiting Paris, Berlin or Rome.

The real issue is we have a ridiculously centralised system of taxation in this country where almost all tax goes to London, and soon a bit of that to Edinburgh.

Even the business rates someone in Portree pays goes to Inverness and accounts for a minimal proportion of Highland Council's budget.

So, if you feel your accommodation is already overpriced or people already pay VAT it's utterly irrelevant to the question of how places who have the biggest burden on services due to tourism pay for that as that money doesn't pay for any of that.

The other issue is most people in this country want Scandinavian services at US tax rates.

If you visit Arran you might be asked to pay a voluntary tourist tax of £1 per person.

Quite frankly if you can afford a £50-100 hotel in Portree you can afford an extra £2.50 - £5 per night to pay for the public amenities you are getting the use of.

Careful you are at risk of causing outrage with an argument like that. Look at the Arrochar parking charges thread.

The fact is, people don't like being asked to pay more for things without any tangible evidence of getting something back, and accommodation (like most things in the UK) is already expensive.

A small charge on many would negate the need to make a large charge on the few.

[Sunset tripper]

The services in Scotland are getting worse by the day. Highland council is trying to remove all the public toilets from the north west.
With all the money coming into the economy from the NC500 plus the extra visitors surely toilets should be provided which after all is a basic human right. The Scottish government and the highland council should stop spending vast amounts of money on crap and provide the basics.

[davekeiller]

I'm not a fan of the idea of a tourist tax. some reasons why I think it's misguided are:
1. as mentioned above, it's rather unwelcoming. One reason why various European cities have introduced such taxes is to try and reduce the number of tourists because local services can't cope with demand.
2. charges like this all add up. Couple a tourist tax with the much publicised increases in charges for parking and a week's family holiday in Scotland could cost an extra £50-£100, which might push some people to go on holiday elsewhere with knock-on effects for the economy.
3. people don't feel like it's value for money. Most of us realise that there's no such thing as a free lunch and that public services etc. have to be paid for. What people dislike is ever-increasing prices for services that are getting no better, and may even be getting worse.