Edinburgh 'to agree Scotlandâs first visitor levy charge today'
Scotlandâ??s first ever visitor levy could be agreed by councillors at a meeting on Friday.
However, with a rare red weather warning in place as a result of Storm Eowyn, councillors will be meeting virtually to discuss the proposals â which could raise up to £50 million a year for the authority.
Council leader Jane Meagher has previously described the levy as a âonce-in-a-lifetime opportunityâ to invest in the city.
It comes after Holyrood, last year, approved legislation giving councils across Scotland the ability to introduce such a charge.
If approved, the levy will see a 5% charge applied to those staying in hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other forms of accommodation, including holiday lets.
Street performer Malachi Frost entertaining the crowds on Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the city's Festival Fringe. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Under the councilâs plans, it will be applied on bookings made after May 1 this year, for accommodation stays from July 24 2026 onwards.
Fridayâs full council meeting to discuss the proposal comes after it was backed last week by the authorityâs policy and sustainability committee.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), however, warned councillors against a âheadlong rush to be the firstâ to introduce the charge.
Garry Clark, FSBâs development manager for Edinburgh and the East of Scotland, said: âEdinburghâs small accommodation providers havenât yet been given all the information necessary to plan for the potential impact on them.â
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He added: âItâs not too late for the council to make the sensible decision to pause the scheme and plan properly for its smooth implementation, rather than engaging in a headlong rush to be the first to implement the levy.â
Ms Meagher said last week that she was âfocused on delivering a scheme that will be both fit for purpose and workableâ and that would also âbenefit our city, our residents and our visitors for many years to comeâ.
The council leader said: âAt all stages of this process, weâve listened to, and taken account of, the views of residents, industry and other stakeholders â and we mustnât lose sight of just how much positivity there is for the scheme across all of these groups.â