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Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)


Postby EBowman » Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:53 pm

FYI - apparently the Highland Council is considering a tourist tax - see BBC story in Scotland section, which provides a link to the Council's online consultation questionnaire. On the one hand, as a visitor I understand the need to invest in general Highland infrastructure, the social needs of the people who live in the Highlands, and habitat management. On the other hand, investing in infrastructure has a tendency to bring more and more people, and the place could wind up like some US parks overrun by tourists. I think on the whole I support the idea, and I hope they use some of the money to provide better public transportation in the area. What does everyone think?
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Lightfoot2017 » Thu Aug 15, 2019 8:34 pm

I'd be in favour of it if I thought it WOULD go directly (and demonstrably) into infrastructure projects ..such as roads, car parking places, public toilets and other public amenities.

But the likelihood is any monies accrued will be used to plug the funding gap in the delivery of core social services (health and social care, education, housing etc.)

Seems a pretty tawdry and wholly transparent attempt by the cooncil to raise funds.

But that might just be me being cynical. :roll:
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby SummitStupid » Thu Aug 15, 2019 8:44 pm

How could this even be implemented? Stupid idea by people who think all that matters are how much money there is and how good the toilets are. That business owners disagree should be deterrent enough.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Caberfeidh » Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:19 am

Lightfoot2017 wrote: But the likelihood is any monies accrued will be used to plug the funding gap in the delivery of core social services (health and social care, education, housing etc.)
:


Ha! O my sweet summer child, yes, of course ; "any monies accrued will be used to plug the funding gap in the delivery of core social services (health and social care, education, housing etc.)" Yes, we'll say that. Not that the councillors will vote themselves pay rises and big limos to be driven around in, whilst continuing to promote "austerity" [for the poor only] as the only way to run a country, oh no...
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby WalkWithWallace » Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:46 am

Over tourism is a problem and tourist tax seems to work in other countries, it's a good idea, if it goes into improving infrastructure such as car parks, toilets and litter bins etc.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Giant Stoneater » Fri Aug 16, 2019 8:44 am

Am against any sort of tourism tax the infrastructure for tourism in Scotland is so backward and it's not just toilets and car parking areas,i was in Austria and you can take bikes and child carriers on buses,trains and trams something which is very,very limited in Scotland.
Scotland has enough visitors paying through their nose so why the need for a tax,another indirect tax.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Sack the Juggler » Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:18 am

If the highlands get 25x their population in visitors each year, then surely that is helping the local economy; hotels, pubs, restaurants, etc. and they are in turn paying extra taxes to the government, so surely the government should help with the local amenities?

Anyway, I'm against a tourist tax, in my view, it will reduce the number of visitors, and will reduce profits of local business and may even put some of them out of business.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Landsoul » Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:10 am

Sack the Juggler wrote:
Anyway, I'm against a tourist tax, in my view, it will reduce the number of visitors, and will reduce profits of local business and may even put some of them out of business.


Precisely why it would be a good thing, the numbers need to be reduced, our home is becoming so busy it's having such a negative impact on the environment- which is a lot more important than the 'local economy'.

Raise them to extortionate rates so less and less come, and use that money for health care etc rather than improving infrastructure as the wee single track roads around the west and elsewhere must not be touched or we would loose a part of what makes the highlands to unique and special.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby chigton » Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:48 am

Having just completeted the survey it looks like this tax will be collected by introducing a surcharge (looks like a maximum of £2 a night) to hotel/hostel and possibly camp site accomodation. One question mentioned about a motorhome levy too, not sure how that would be collected.....

To me it will make little difference to those who can afford expensive accomodation and to those who can't it will just encourage more wild camping, which on a larger scale and irresponsibly done leads to problems in itself.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Marty_JG » Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:03 am

Landsoul wrote:Precisely why it would be a good thing, the numbers need to be reduced, our home is becoming so busy it's having such a negative impact on the environment- which is a lot more important than the 'local economy'.


You want a positive impact on the environment? Ban farming, blood sports, and the forestry commission.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby NickyRannoch » Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:56 pm

Caberfeidh wrote:
Lightfoot2017 wrote: But the likelihood is any monies accrued will be used to plug the funding gap in the delivery of core social services (health and social care, education, housing etc.)
:


Ha! O my sweet summer child, yes, of course ; "any monies accrued will be used to plug the funding gap in the delivery of core social services (health and social care, education, housing etc.)" Yes, we'll say that. Not that the councillors will vote themselves pay rises and big limos to be driven around in, whilst continuing to promote "austerity" [for the poor only] as the only way to run a country, oh no...


An ordinary Cllr gets paid about 18k and the leader of a Council about 40k. We are hardly talking NHS level wages here.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Landsoul » Fri Aug 16, 2019 1:20 pm

Marty_JG wrote:
Landsoul wrote:Precisely why it would be a good thing, the numbers need to be reduced, our home is becoming so busy it's having such a negative impact on the environment- which is a lot more important than the 'local economy'.


You want a positive impact on the environment? Ban farming, blood sports, and the forestry commission.


I'd start by putting a stop to all the plastic and litter getting blown over the moors and lochs as a result of far too many people on the north coast 500 (which by the way is one of the worst things to happen in the highlands).
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby Graeme D » Fri Aug 16, 2019 1:56 pm

It's a difficult one, and without any easy solutions. All I will say is that I drove from Duror down through Glencoe and over Rannoch Moor on Tuesday morning and I have never seen the likes! Every second vehicle (of which there were far more than I have ever seen on that stretch) seemed to be a camper van and pretty much every lay by was rammed. On more than one occasion there were vehicles parked up in a way that at best posed an obstruction and at worst was downright dangerous, not too mention folks running about the carriageway with cameras pointing at their surroundings. Not saying a tourist tax should or should not be levied, or that infrastructure development in such places would necessarily be a positive thing, but the weight of tourism can be a curse as well as a blessing.
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby WhitstableDave » Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:38 pm

I'm a tourist who, with my wife, is just completing a second week in Scotland on a self-catering cottage summer holiday during which we go walking every day. We spent a week on Harris last week and are in the Coigach region this week. This is the third successive summer that we've spent in the Highlands and Islands with previous weeks being on South Uist, Lewis, Kintyre and Islay.

It's been very noticeable that, compared with Kintyre and the islands, the roads north of Ullapool are swarming with motorhomes and camper vans. We drive about 20 miles from a 'fast' road to our cottage along a single-track road and these vehicles are a pain that we've not suffered before! So I'd be in favour of a tax that reduced their numbers - or a limit on the types of roads they're allowed to use.

I do wonder though if there's a somewhat parochial view on the question of a tourist tax for the Highland area. I live in Kent (near Canterbury), and we apparently get more than 60 million visitors a year. And that tourism apparently brings in around £4 billion a year. So if there's to be a Highland visitor tax, then why not a Kent visitor tax? Or a Peak District visitor tax?... And if everywhere that gets tourists (which is almost everywhere) has a visitor tax, then why not simplify things by taxing everyone who goes on holiday in the UK via increases in fuel and transport prices? Problem solved! :wink:
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Re: Highland Tourism Visitor Levy (Tourist Tax)

Postby DopeyLoser » Fri Aug 16, 2019 6:00 pm

WhitstableDave wrote:...why not simplify things by taxing everyone who goes on holiday in the UK via increases in fuel and transport prices? Problem solved! :wink:


Good idea lol. But as I'm sure you know, fuel taxes are seen as a very very bad thing. A tourist tax is "progressive", don't you see?

Anyhow, enjoy your Coigach time and stay calm and patient when driving behind tourists as they sail past yet another passing place without letting you overtake ....
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