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Glasgow Times
15 hours ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
New tourist tax in Glasgow approved by councillors
The visitor levy due to be introduced on January, 25, 2027 will see people pay 5% of their accommodation bill for every night of their entire stay. It is expected the fee could bring in about £16 million annually after costs and will apply to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Speaking at the city administration committee today, city treasurer Ricky Bell said he and leader Susan Aitken 'had been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to give us more powers to be able to raise our own revenues and this is the start of what I hope will be a continuation of those powers being devolved to local government.' It is proposed that hotel operators keep 1.5% of the amount collected to make up for any costs incurred. Organisations who don't comply would face penalties. READ MORE: Councillor Ricky Bell: 'Visitor levy in Glasgow could grow city's tourism offer' Councillors approved the visitor levy at the city administration committee this morning. Cash generated would go towards the look and feel of the city with investment in infrastructure and the 'built and natural environment', as well as culture and events and marketing of the city as a destination to grow visitors. A visitor levy forum is also to be set up to provide advice to the council relating to the scheme and it is proposed those involved in the visitor sector and representatives from communities would have a key role. Employees are to be appointed at Glasgow City Council to handle the process and annual costs are estimated to be about £750,000 to £950,000 – with initial set up expected to be £400,000. Scottish Green councillors moved an amendment at the committee relating to accommodation provider costs stating that they 'may only retain money under this rebate scheme for three years' and providing more details on penalties if they don't pay. The amendment was rejected by Labour, the SNP and a Conservative councillor.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Glasgow tourist tax given go-ahead by councillors with hopes visitor levy will generate £16m
Visitors to the city will pay 5% of their accommodation bill for every night of their stay. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Glasgow's new tourist tax has been given the go-ahead – with visitors to be charged on average £4.83 per night. The visitor levy due to be introduced on January, 25, 2027 will see people pay 5% of their accommodation bill for every night of their entire stay. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is expected the fee could bring in about £16m annually after costs and will apply to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Speaking at the city administration committee on Thursday, city treasurer Ricky Bell said he and leader Susan Aitken 'had been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to give us more powers to be able to raise our own revenues and this is the start of what I hope will be a continuation of those powers being devolved to local government.' It is proposed that hotel operators keep 1.5% of the amount collected to make up for any costs incurred. Organisations who don't comply would face penalties. Councillors approved the visitor levy at the city administration committee on Thursday morning (June 19). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cash generated would go towards the look and feel of the city with investment in infrastructure and the 'built and natural environment' as well as culture and events and marketing of the city as a destination to grow visitors. A visitor levy forum is also to be set up to provide advice to the council relating to the scheme and it is proposed those involved in the visitor sector and representatives from communities would have a key role. Employees are to be appointed at Glasgow City Council to handle the process and annual costs are estimated to be about £750,000 to £950,000 – with initial set up expected to be £400,000. Scottish Green councillors moved an amendment at the committee relating to accommodation provider costs stating that they 'may only retain money under this rebate scheme for three years' and providing more details on penalties if they don't pay.
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Plans for Glasgow tourist tax approved by councillors
The visitor levy due to be introduced on January, 25, 2027 will see people pay 5% of their accommodation bill for every night of their entire stay. It is expected the fee could bring in about £16 million annually after costs and will apply to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Speaking at the city administration committee on Thursday, City treasurer Ricky Bell said he and leader Susan Aitken 'had been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to give us more powers to be able to raise our own revenues and this is the start of what I hope will be a continuation of those powers being devolved to local government.' READ MORE: BAE given £9.2 million to create 300 shipbuilding jobs by Scottish Government It is proposed that hotel operators keep 1.5% of the amount collected to make up for any costs incurred. Organisations who don't comply would face penalties. Councillors approved the visitor levy at the city administration committee on Thursday morning. Cash generated would go towards the look and feel of the city with investment in infrastructure and the 'built and natural environment' as well as culture and events and marketing of the city as a destination to grow visitors. A visitor levy forum is also to be set up to provide advice to the council relating to the scheme and it is proposed those involved in the visitor sector and representatives from communities would have a key role. Employees are to be appointed at Glasgow City Council to handle the process and annual costs are estimated to be about £750,000 to £950,000 – with initial set up expected to be £400,000. Scottish Green councillors moved an amendment at the committee relating to accommodation provider costs stating that they 'may only retain money under this rebate scheme for three years' and providing more details on penalties if they don't pay. The amendment was rejected by Labour, the SNP and a Conservative councillor. Commenting, Scottish Green councillor Blair Anderson, whose motion started the process, said: 'The tourist tax is going to be a game-changer for Glasgow, delivering more money to tidy up our city and make it even more attractive for visitors and residents alike. READ MORE: 300 jobs at risk as London-based firm moves Scottish Power contract to South Africa 'A small contribution from tourists will mean we can invest millions more in street sweeping, bin collections, and getting Glasgow looking good again. 'I'm glad that Greens in Holyrood got this law passed, and I'm grateful to all councillors who have worked with me over recent months to get this tax in place as soon as possible.' Meanwhile, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: 'Glasgow is a global city, drawing visitors from all over the world. But we have seen how over-tourism can damage communities, like in Venice and Barcelona, where the residents end up paying the price. 'The tourist tax is vital to delivering sustainable tourism where local residents feel the benefit of our tourism and events sectors. I'm delighted that Glasgow is continuing to benefit from Green policy in action.'
STV News
a day ago
- Business
- STV News
Glasgow tourist tax given go-ahead by councillors
Glasgow's new tourist tax has been given the go-ahead this morning – with visitors to be charged on average £4.83 per night. The visitor levy due to be introduced on January, 25, 2027 will see people pay 5% of their accommodation bill for every night of their entire stay. It is expected the fee could bring in about £16m annually after costs and will apply to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Speaking at the city administration committee on Thursday, city treasurer Ricky Bell said he and leader Susan Aitken 'had been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to give us more powers to be able to raise our own revenues and this is the start of what I hope will be a continuation of those powers being devolved to local government.' It is proposed that hotel operators keep 1.5% of the amount collected to make up for any costs incurred. Organisations who don't comply would face penalties. Councillors approved the visitor levy at the city administration committee this morning. Cash generated would go towards the look and feel of the city with investment in infrastructure and the 'built and natural environment' as well as culture and events and marketing of the city as a destination to grow visitors. A visitor levy forum is also to be set up to provide advice to the council relating to the scheme and it is proposed those involved in the visitor sector and representatives from communities would have a key role. Employees are to be appointed at Glasgow City Council to handle the process and annual costs are estimated to be about £750,000 to £950,000 – with initial set up expected to be £400,000. Scottish Green councillors moved an amendment at the committee relating to accommodation provider costs stating that they 'may only retain money under this rebate scheme for three years' and providing more details on penalties if they don't pay. The amendment was rejected by Labour, the SNP and a Conservative councillor. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow's new visitors levy hoped to generate £16m
1.5% of each levy will be retained by accommodation providers to cover costs incurred by the scheme's implementation. The rest, an estimated £16m, will be invested into city centre infrastructure projects and events. At a meeting of the council's City Administration committee today, Treasurer Ricky Bell said: 'We have been lobbying the Scottish Government for some time to give us more powers to be able to raise our own revenues and this is the start of what I hope will be a continuation of those powers being devolved to local government." The City of Edinburgh Council approved a similar levy in January, over the objections of leading hospitality groups. It is hoped the scheme will generate £16m each year. (Image: GRAHAM) Writing in The Glasgow Times yesterday, Bell said: 'We reckon that if we add 5% to an accommodation bill – that's an average of just under £5 per night – then we could raise around £16 million extra income annually. 'Given the unprecedented pressures on public finances, that's a decent amount of money to help improve our city and its tourism offer.' The SNP councillor added: 'Visitor levies are common across much of the world. Cities such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Berlin, Hamburg and Paris have all introduced similar schemes in recent years and all have had an increase in visitor numbers.'
