Highland Council welcomes tourism tax consultation plans

THE Scottish Government's announcement of a consultation on the introduction of a tourist tax has been welcomed by Highland Council.

Council convener Bill Lobban recently gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, where he emphasised the importance of tourism to the Highlands.

The Badenoch and Strathspey councillor said: "Tourism is our most important and valuable industry, worth over £1.2 billion per annum to the Highland economy. We have seen significant increases in visitor numbers in recent years and we aim to continue to build on these successful trends.

"I very much welcome the Scottish Government's plans for a consultation on the pros and cons of introducing a visitor levy.

"If this consultation exercise is to genuinely look at the all the issues of introducing a visitor levy, then it needs to be wide ranging in its scope and inclusive of both public and tourism operators alike.

"The Highland region is vast and provides the most spectacular scenery you could see anywhere in the world.

"We want to provide the best possible facilities and infrastructure and whilst we welcome the huge numbers of visitors, this increase inevitably puts more pressure on our roads, parking, amenities and public conveniences, at a time when council resources are stretched more than ever.

"It is clear that we need to increase the resources available to deliver a high quality visitor experience in a highly competitive tourism sector. A visitor levy could help to fund the investment we desperately need."

Tourism is the Highlands' most significant industry employing over 20,000 people in 2017.

The sector has seen growth of a quarter since 2014 and initial indications such as visits to visitor attractions in Highland which were up 12% to the end of July suggest this growth has continued in 2018.

A report will be brought to the Highland Council full meeting in December with a recommendation that we engage will all communities, businesses and individuals to gauge their thoughts on the introduction of a visitor levy.

Cairngorms Business Partnership, The Federations of Small Businesses in the Highlands and Aviemore Business Association are amongst those who are opposed to a tourism levy.

They say that Scotland is already one of the most expensive countries in the world to stay and visit because of the 20 per cent VAT charges applied to tourism businesses.

Many accommodation providers and attractions elsewhere in the work either have a reduced form of VAT or are exempt altogether which is why critics say a tourism levy is not such a financial burden.

There are also concerns about the red tape and cash flow involved in collecting any bed tax.

* What do you think of a tourism levy being introduced in the strath? Let us know at editorial@sbherald.co.uk