PEOPLE in the Highlands are to be consulted on levying a tourist tax in the region.
Highland Councillors say the money could be used to support infrastructure – such as roads – which are under pressure from the huge numbers of visitors who are attracted to the area each year, and which has soared due to the booming North Coast 500 road trip.
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Highland Council plans to start its three-month consultation next week.
It previously sought views in 2019 when it received 6,600 responses from residents, businesses and visitors.
The Highlands get more than six million visitors a year – including day-trippers, overseas tourists and cruise passengers.
Next Thursday, the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will consider a report on a potential Visitor Levy for Highland.
This report sets out a proposed outline of how the scheme would operate and seeks members’ approval to undertake a public statutory consultation.
The visitor levy has been identified as a priority action within the Council’s Programme Our Future Highland 2022-2027.
NC500 CHARGE ONE
BY PAIGE BERESFORD
TOURISTS planning to travel along the North Coast 500 face having to pay a fee to drive their motorhomes and campervans through the iconic route.
The Highland Council have introduced the new charge as part of a scheme that will help deliver “sustainable and responsible tourism” in the area.
Visitors could have to fork out £40 for a seven-day membership in a bid to help the local authority improve services for tourists and locals alike.
Some of the money will go towards improving services including public toilets and wastewater infrastructure as well as other environmental and ecological protections.
Read more HERE
Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: “Tourism is one of our most important sectors and the levy could form an essential part of how we sustain, support and develop the services and infrastructure which the sector relies on.
“We have been engaging with stakeholders and I would like to thank all the individuals and businesses who have taken part to date for their input and help to get us to this stage. If approved, the intention is for the 12-week public consultation period to commence on November 15 and close on February 7.”
The consultation will be published on the Council’s website and paper copies will be available upon request.
“The Council is committed to working with partners and stakeholders to address service delivery challenges with a positive approach to change. One of the identified actions is to implement the visitor levy as an enabler to improve infrastructure used by visitors for business or leisure purposes, and to enhance the visitor experience,” said the authority.
One of the tourist hotspots is Skye and businesses want any cash raised from a new tourist tax to stay local.
MSPs approved a plan in May to introduce a visitor levy across Scotland.
This allows local councils to add a charge to overnight accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets.
Now, 99 per cent of businesses on Skye that responded to a survey by destination organisation SkyeConnect on the proposed levy want all the revenue raised on the island to be spent locally.
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The survey was carried out in September, one year after a similar survey revealed almost 90 per cent support for the visitor levy to be administered on Skye rather than go into a Highland Council pot.
So far, the Highland Council has not published its plans in terms of the percentage charge on overnight accommodation. However, Edinburgh City Council is proposing a year-round levy charged at 5 per cent of the accommodation cost, capped at seven consecutive nights and applied across the entire Edinburgh Council local authority area.
Edinburgh Council is also proposing that 10 per cent of revenue is ring-fenced for destination management.
NC500 CHARGE TWO
BY JORDAN TENNANT
NORTH Coast 500 tourists could face a new motorhome and campervan ‘tax’.
The Scots beauty trail takes in some of Scotland’s most breathtaking locations.
However in recent years, an increasing number of tourists have been slammed for wreaking havoc on the scenic route.
And now leading travel expert Simon Calder has suggested introducing a levy to help support small Highland communities.
Read more HERE
SkyeConnect would like to see a similar commitment from Highland Council following the removal of core funding from all Highland destination management organisations (DMOs).
The legislation only allows a levy to be charged per night on the accommodation whether that be in a hotel, self-catering unit, B&B, campsite or hostel etc.
However, respondents to the survey wished the levy to be applied to other visitors with 88 per cent saying campervans and motorhomes not staying in commercial campsites should be charged, potentially using technology such as number-plate recognition or other means.
NC500 CHARGE THREE
BY SARAH PEDDIE
COUNCILLORS have revealed that they are keen to back plans for a motorhome ‘tourist tax’ on a popular Scottish island – which is swarmed by the vehicles every year.
The proposed charge for campervan users heading to the Isle of Skye has been gathering support as locals face a number of challenges amid an influx of tourists.
The popular island is located near to the NC500 road trip route and is a top destination for tourists visiting the Highlands.
And number plate recognition could be used to help implement the levy on visitors arriving over the Skye Bridge or at its ferry ports
Read more HERE
Meanwhile 45 per cent called for day-visitors to be charged, 61 per cent wanted the levy applied to cruise ship passengers, 66 per cent wanted the levy applied to tour groups and 46 per cent wanted wild campers to be charged.
In August 2019, Highland Council calculated it could generate as much as £10m a year from a levy, and reinvest the money into improving infrastructure such as roads, car parks and public toilets.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
In 2019 the Highland tourist numbers hit a peak of seven million visitors.
The Covid pandemic hit tourism, but there have been recent signs of recovery and in 2022 there were more than six million visitors to the area.
