Tourism tax: Wales’ plans for charge on visitors to be published

Visitors might have to pay a tourism tax when staying overnight in Wales under plans to be outlined on Monday.

The Welsh government wants to give councils the power to apply a “small additional charge” to accommodation bills.

Further details, including the proposed amount charged under the visitor levy, will be revealed when a law is published.

The Conservatives have attacked the idea, saying it risks deterring visitors from coming to Wales.

Ministers have said the levy would raise money to spend on supporting the tourism industry in places that attract a lot of visitors.

This could range from cleaning beaches to maintaining toilets and footpaths.

Councils will decide whether to introduce the tax in their areas “based on local circumstances”, the government has said.

The Visitor Accommodation Bill will also include a registration scheme for accommodation providers.

The bill was proposed as part of an agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru in 2021.

It will have to be approved by the Senedd and it could take some years before councils are able to introduce a tax.

Separate legislation is expected to create a licensing scheme for all accommodation providers, which is meant to make sure they all follow the same rules and standards.

Most businesses that responded to a Welsh government consultation opposed a tax.

There were concerns about administering it and about counties competing against each other’s different tax rates.

A separate government-commissioned survey of people around the UK found more people responded positively than negatively when asked about paying a levy while on holiday.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “This is a bill designed to protect and promote tourism.

“It’s a power for those local authorities that wish to use it that will collect a small amount of money from visitors coming to that area for re-investment in the things that make tourism a success in that area.”