This is news that tourists should not taste.
To cope with rising energy prices, the Scottish government is proposing the introduction of a tourist tax.
Its "Programme for Government", presented on September 6 and detailed on the government's website, distills the main lines of its future policy.
The executive explains that he wants to leave the possibility to the cities of the country to establish this contribution.
And Edinburgh's governing bodies have already planned to ride the wave.
This tax could amount to a few pounds sterling per person and would only apply to overnight visitors.
If this tax were passed (the bill must be presented to the Scottish Parliament in early 2023), the financial windfall would be enormous for Edinburgh.
With more than two million tourists a year, including more than 100,000 French people, the capital of Scotland is the second most visited city in the United Kingdom, after London.
Read alsoTwo days in Edinburgh: our advice for enjoying a timeless capital
Promote tourism-related activities
For Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, the establishment of this financial contribution
"will help the town councils, if they wish, to finance activities linked to tourism and other ancillary infrastructures"
.
Already, in 2021, Edinburgh City Council, then led by the SNP (the Scottish National Party), had wanted to introduce a tax of 2 pounds sterling per visitor per night, representing a potential revenue of 11 million pounds per year. .
This project, already discussed several times, had not been retained after the results of the vote of May 2022.
Already, the town's chief councilor, Cammy Day, has made his intentions clear:
"We think it's fair to ask visitors to make a small contribution, to help us maintain and even improve our tourist offer, while managing its impact.”
What convince the main concerned?
The future will tell.
