Another stealth tax
What,if anything,does the "club" have in mind to oppose the latest stealth tax idea from the scottish assembly?They want to impose a "tourist tax" on all holiday stays in scotland be it at a campsite,marina,guest house or hotel.(even just mooring a boat!).The tourist industry has already suffered enough with the effects of covid,fuel costs etc.Something needs to change!
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As David says it's quite common place in Europe to have tourist taxes. I don't think there is anything stealth about such a tax either. Personally I think the real question to ask is what such taxes will be used for. If the answer is to improve the visitor experience by providing facilities for tourists and locals alike it could be a very good thing. If on the other hand it's just part of general taxation, not such a good idea?
David
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Good idea. I wish Cornwall Council would introduce it too.
My Council Tax here is £3000 a year and I would be delighted for incoming tourists to pay something towards roads, policing, hospital costs and so on. And my water bill is about to go up too so the tourists here can have cleaner beaches.
As AD says it’s a normal charge for tourists in many other countries already.,
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Last time this came up it was Edinburgh Council that wanted to introduce it, it was voted down by the residents of the city.
As far as I can make out it is not favoured by the voters, especially in Edinburgh. Hotels there, and elsewhere, are already expensive enough without adding an extra tax.
There is talk of £2 per night per room, so presumably also £2 per pitch? A flat rate like that on a CL would be a big increase!
Other countries where they have it, like Switzerland, you get free or reduced rate public transport, same in some parts of Germany, where not all areas have a tourist tax.
I wonder what benefit the tourists here would get? Many areas do rely on tourism for income and jobs, an extra tax would be a good way to discourage people from visiting IMO.
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The Town Mayor of St Ives is already pushing for such a tax, Euro.
Don't forget the lifeguards on the beaches funded by Cornwall Council. Although we welcome tourists and they do bring business, my goodness, they stretch our publicly funded resources as well.
I wonder how the Scottish Govt proposes to tax the wildcampers?
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Hopefully nothing, as long as the money is ring fenced (as has been promised) for tourist related spending, I’m all for it. There is still plenty to be sorted out though, it does need setting at a sensible level and I am not so sure about the percentage of cost proposal that I have seen mentioned. Personally I think a flat rate per person / per night would be better. If the club does have any input I would prefer it was related to those features of the tax rather than opposition.
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KjellNN put:-
I wonder what benefit the tourists here would get? Many areas do rely on tourism for income and jobs, an extra tax would be a good way to discourage people from visiting IMO.We spent 36 nights in Scotland last September / October, so if fixed at £2 per night as you mention £72 on over a month of touring. I wouldn’t see it as make or break on our decision to tour in Scotland. Given the north coast is over 500 miles from home and costs £106 in fuel, we would go somewhere closer if that was the case.
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I think the retailers in St.Ives set their own tourist tax the way they all bump prices massively in the summer TW
JK
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Can you blame them really? The peak season in Cornwall is so short and they need to survive all year on a few weeks' takings. Like so many places, St Ives is tumbleweed town out of the summer months. I dare say you and I would make the most of the tourist season too. 🤷🏻♂️
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Yeh!!! and they expect me to pay £10 for a crab sandwich and eat it on a 2ft sq table on the pavement being jostled by all and sundry, having a laugh....
"The peak season in Cornwall is so short and they need to survive all year on a few weeks' takings"
is this really true, we were there this year early May and the places we visited we heaving, and no doubt if the weather holds, this will continue thru into September
p.s. loved it though and will be back in Deven for 12 days shortly
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I’m attempting to explain, Rufs, not defend. I don’t sell crab sandwiches or have any other connection with the tourist industry.😀
Yes, the busy peak season in Cornwall is short. It amounts to not much more than the school summer holidays with a few busy days at bank holidays. If I recall correctly, there was something going on at the start of May which gave us all an extra bank holiday, wasn’t there? That meant some folk made the most of the 2 days and joined them together to have a decent break. Personally, I think there are many places preferable to visit than St Ives but that’s just my opinion. 🤷🏻♂️
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Well i was using crab sandwiches more as an example in response to JK, and i must say it must have been a long Coranation as we were in the area 12th May thru 24th May when it was still heaving, yes there was the Tunes in the Dunes festival at Perranporth but i dont think that would have affected the numbers visiting St Ives, not my favourite place but it does have a very large dog friendly beach, so worth at least one visit.
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You quoted my post, Rufs, not JK's 😂
So not early May after all. Are you certain it was actually St Ives? 🤣🤣
Anyway, you’ll soon be back (almost) in Cornwall when things could be quieter. Enjoy your stay.👍🏻
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I guess you're right Mikey, pretty much like most of the western world does
. We've gone up by 80 pence per night this week, shocker
JK
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And how is that any different to any other travel/leisure organisation?
I know two families both going abroad, one who went away a week ago today and another going away a week on Monday, as they'll be saving a substantial amount compared to this (half term) week.
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I think any "tourist tax" will quickly become an accomodation tax instead as it will be impossible to economically manage all the exceptions - someone travelling for work might be easy, but they could by accompanied by a non-working partner. What about people travelling for medical treatment, or to visit unwell relatives, or even a funeral? None of that is being a tourist, neither is staying at a hotel just down the road when ones home is uninhabitable due to building work, or a fire or flood.
The cost of collection of the tax, and handling exemptions, will fall to the hapless accomodation provider who will be getting nothing for the trouble.
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But do they manage well abroad?
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In effect it is an accommodation tax but probably calling it a tourist tax tends to separate out the locals, who won't pay it and the visitors who will. If the amount of the tax is pitched correctly it shouldn't massively impact on any of the categories that you suggest should not pay it. Afterall they don't get preferential rates at hotels because they are visiting someone in hospital? One also assumes that in certain circumstances longer stays in hotels will be down to an insurance company?
The system in Europe seems to work pretty well at least that was my personal experience of staying on campsite/hotels over the past 30 years. If you want to know more about how it works have a look at this article on taxe de séjour
David
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The other way to look at this is how does the Club feel about it being forced to become unpaid tax collector for the Scottish government. Any costs incurred by the club to collect the tax and pay it to the Scottish government will have to be paid by the club. Is that right and fair?
Also the Welsh government are also looking at tourist tax.
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And that expense will be passed on to the members using those sites, so they will be hit with a double wammy!
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Having just come back home from 10 days in Cornwall, it was interesting to view on the local BBC news the Mayor of St Ives making the case for just a tourist levy. There are, I believe, other areas of England considering the same. Interestingly when the Welsh Senedd put forward the need for a tourist levy, they were accused by London centric press as anti English. We happily accept just these levies in Europe. Double standards?
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