Today is the deadline to take part in a government consultation over proposals to create visitor levies on overnight stays in England.
The Government says it is committed to ‘increasing visitor numbers and improving the overall visitor experience as part of plans for the country to remain one of the most visited worldwide, driving economic growth.’
The briefing paper goes on to say it is estimated that there were over 120 million visits in 10 England in 2024 and that tourism directly accounted for an estimated £58 billion (2.4%) of the UK’s economic output in 2023, contributing to a total output of £127 billion (5.2%) across related industries.
Around 1.2 million UK jobs in 2023 (3.9% of all workers) and 3.9 million jobs across all tourism-related activities (12.7% of all workers) were linked to tourism.
Mayors would have the power to raise and invest money into projects that improve their local areas, raising living standards and driving growth.
According to the proposals mayors would not be compelled to introduce the levy and central government has pledged not to reduce funding for Mayors if they choose not to introduce it.
Last year a coalition of mayors from across England led by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram called on the government to grant devolved powers to explore and implement a visitor levy in their regions.
The Government is also seeking views on whether local leaders should have powers to make exemptions to support the visitor economy in ways that reflect regional priorities.
Details of the briefing paper and how to respond can be found here.
Meanwhile the results of a study for National Parks England carried out by a sustainable tourism specialist who was commissioned by Friends of the Lake District to report on the effects of tourism on the area is due out this year.
A year ago Business Crack canvassed opinions across Cumbria about the idea of a tax on tourists.
