Tourist Tax Debate Again

It is not just in Scotland that such a Tourist Tax or overnight stay levy is being considered. Almost all "tourist reliant" areas in the UK are having this debate. Only last week residents of Weston super Mare were proposing such actions as the high costs of clearing/ collecting rubbish from the beaches etc was falling disproportionately on residents. Here in Wales when just such a measure was proposed it was met with great waving of arms and gnashing of teeth and shouts of being "anti-English". Just how I'm not sure, as it would apply to residents of Wales equally as to others irrespective of where they come from. My view is that such a levy will come in due course, all over the UK. After all it is the norm "over there" and usually paid to the campsite at the end of your stay. How much and collected by whom will need to be considered equally and fairly across the UK.

Typically in France at the sort of campsite we would use the taxe de sejour is in the order of 50 pence per person per night but the  amount is variable from one locality to another, and variable from a simple campsite to a five star site.

Campsite owners are supposed to show it as an itemised item on a bill (as they should with VAT) . Some do that, but some just add it in to the total price the visitor pays.

But one way or another the visitor pays it and it is just accepted as a fact of life and doesn’t cause controversy in the way it will here. It never crops up on the  overseas section of this forum.

Of course one of the issues for any town implementing it is where is the boundary? I don’t know Edinburgh well enough to know where the council boundary ends. Hotels etc just outside the city, but on good transport routes will be at an advantage. I don’t know how the Manchester tax works.

I have a lot of sympathy for major tourist areas a the additional burden  visitors impose. The alternative is, I guess, to increase council tax. A tourist tax seems much fairer to me. As others have said, never been any issues in France, as a tourist.

It seems to me that tourists around the world are currently being blamed for all the ills of their hosts!!!! This seems to be creeping into the UK also. People that claim that tourists are putting an extra burden on local facilities are only partially right. What we have to remember is that without tourists there would be fewer jobs locally, less collected in both business and personal taxation. The more tourists you have there more you get locally in terms of contribution. It depends what the rational is for a "tourist tax"? I am not sure I would be in favour of it if all it did was to subsidise the Local Council. On the other hand if the money was going to be ringfenced for providing extra facilities like car parking or leisure facilities which could equally be used by tourists and local residents then perhaps there is a case for a small nightly tax.

As to how it is listed on your invoice, by the Club, or any other organisation it might depend on whether that is a requirement of the original legislation. As ET mentioned in France, and other European countries with such a tax it is usually listed separately but if you use the ACSI card there is an all inclusive price. How the Club approach it might depend on whether the tax is just local to a few campsites where I imagine it would be list separately but if it was universal does it actually matter where it is included?

David

And another thing... sorry edit timed out. We paid 25 euros in Boa Vista Cape Verde last February for a two week stay. I would say most of those staying in the hotel didn't venture out of it, apart from anything there's nothing to venture out to apart from a visit to the 'capital' (think very small town) and it's possible to drive round the whole of the island in half a day or less and a trip to the famous beaches is half an hour away. The hotel was not state owned and I don't think (I did ask) that any local money was used to build it. If one wanted to be harsh one could argue what I was paying for?

But I didn't begrudge the tax at all. We lived in 'luxury' while some parts of the island were are in desperate need of local services for the residents.

While we do not yet know how this will work, and whether camp sites will be included, it annoys me that we go to various sites to stay and visit friends,  rather than act like “tourists”, but MAY fall foul of this charge.

As far as we are concerned we have “done Edinburgh” so will not be visiting tourist attractions, or putting any burden on Edinburgh.   Edinburgh just happens to be fairly central for friends in Aberdour (Fife) and Haddington (East Lothian).   Will be interesting to see how far Edinburgh considers its reach to be.

Then we go to   North Wales, again to visit a dear friend, he has just lost his wife and needs support from friends.   We have been in the area many  times over the past 15 years, so have done all the touristy stuff.  Our friend does not have the space for us to stay with him, so we take the caravan and use a CL about 15 miles away.  We could use a nearer site,  but it is more expensive and the roads to tow the caravan on are not great.

The accommodation providers interviewed in Edinburgh were very concerned at the proposed level of the tax, quoting Manchester as proposing £1 per night, rather than the 5% proposed by Edinburgh, and saying this would make them uncompetative.

I was thinking…….why would anyone be bothered that the tax was £1 in Manchester if they wanted to visit Edinburgh!?

Just fancied a walk along the beach (ok and maybe chips and ice cream) so we went off to Seaburn which was crowded out when it was hot a few weeks ago. Today plenty of parking and quite empty, probably to do only being 18C, which got me thinking...

In case HMG is listening what about BH tourist tax supplements? And/or even have the tax based on temperature and weather? If it's colder like today decrease the tax meaning more people might be tempted out? Or a mid week discount. You heard it here first.