Tourist Tax

[snooky]

Plan for Edinburgh tourist tax next spring.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-38676936
Brilliant PR headline for the World Press to pick up. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
The loonies have definitely taken over the asylum. Trams, congestion charges, Sunday parking charges, 20mph zones..... blah, blah. Now this?
Why not just ring fence the whole city and put up big signs "Everybody, just F. O."

[CropleyWasGod]

It's only at the discussion stage just now.

Many of the world's tourist destinations already charge a similar levy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/taxing-travel--how-europes-top-destinations-charge-tourists/

[snooky]

It's only at the discussion stage just now.

Many of the world's tourist destinations already charge a similar levy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/taxing-travel--how-europes-top-destinations-charge-tourists/

Likewise, many of the worlds top destinations have muggers & con artists but that doesn't mean we have to have them too, CWG. :wink: :greengrin

[Jack]

Au contraire mon amy! ;-)

I'd suggest Edinburgh is hell bent on continuing its mission to be a theme park rather than a place to live!

I'd also suggest everything you mention is more to make the tourists life easier to the detriment of locals. The tram bringing them from the airport to the hotels skipping past huge residential areas a prime example!

I doubt most tourists have a car while they're here although agree there's plenty do but it's likely to be parked up rather than a means of getting round town so the anti car policies pursued by the council are again anti locals.

Tourist tax is quite common around the world. Anyone going to Spain this year will find it's been introduced there now.

It's the fashionable tax in tourist destinations. If they didn't charge it we wouldn't be a proper tourist destination would we?

[beensaidbefore]

Au contraire mon amy! ;-)

I'd suggest Edinburgh is hell bent on continuing its mission to be a theme park rather than a place to live!

I'd also suggest everything you mention is more to make the tourists life easier to the detriment of locals. The tram bringing them from the airport to the hotels skipping past huge residential areas a prime example!

I doubt most tourists have a car while they're here although agree there's plenty do but it's likely to be parked up rather than a means of getting round town so the anti car policies pursued by the council are again anti locals.

Tourist tax is quite common around the world. Anyone going to Spain this year will find it's been introduced there now.

It's the fashionable tax in tourist destinations. If they didn't charge it we wouldn't be a proper tourist destination would we?

This had been going on in ibiza for more than a 15 years.

[Jack]

This had been going on in ibiza for more than a 15 years.

Should have maybe been more specific and said throughout the mainland. I know it's been in certain regions in the past.

[Pretty Boy]

I don't think it's a bad idea tbh.

I'm not sure a small 'tourist tax' would put many, if any, people off visiting. It's never been a consideration for me when visiting places that have it in the past.

[JeMeSouviens]

I don't think it's a bad idea tbh.

Me neither, a couple of quid on the bill per night is hardly noticed. You get it all over the place, about time we caught up.

[beensaidbefore]

Should have maybe been more specific and said throughout the mainland. I know it's been in certain regions in the past.

Wasn't having a go mate. I think it's a good idea, if, and that's a big If, the money is used to fund public services, such as toilets which are shutting all over the place. Total disgrace a city like Edinburgh doesn't have decent facilities.

[steakbake]

I've been in favour of this for years. Makes complete sense to charge a small amount per night to tourists. It's very common throughout the world and I'd rather have the 15mil odd bed-nights annually in Edinburgh passing money back to the city for infrastructure, street cleaning and suchlike. It's a great idea.

The idea that it would scare tourists off is a non-starter. I have never decided against going somewhere after spending a couple of hundred euros for the sake of the local tourist tax potentially costing me a few extra. You generally don't even realise there is a tourist tax until you look at your bill.

[CropleyWasGod]

I've been in favour of this for years. Makes complete sense to charge a small amount per night to tourists. It's very common throughout the world and I'd rather have the 15mil odd bed-nights annually in Edinburgh passing money back to the city for infrastructure, street cleaning and suchlike. It's a great idea.

The idea that it would scare tourists off is a non-starter. I have never decided against going somewhere after spending a couple of hundred euros for the sake of the local tourist tax potentially costing me a few extra. You generally don't even realise there is a tourist tax until you look at your bill.

Yup. £1 per night, and you can see the point.

We'll **** up the spending, of course. That's what we do. :greengrin

[steakbake]

Yup. £1 per night, and you can see the point.

We'll **** up the spending, of course. That's what we do. :greengrin

Or the collecting - you wouldn't put it past ECC to find a way for it to cost more to collect than it takes in ;-)

But even at £1 per night - 15.5mil to the city. What a difference that could make.

If we're really being re-distributive about it, then it should be spent in post-codes in the city with higher indices of deprivation...

But for now, I'd be happy for it to absorb some of the cost of the Festival.

[Hibrandenburg]

Many towns in Germany have similar. Obviously residents don't have to pay and the money goes to maintaining the town for tourists and inhabitants alike.

[Hibby Bairn]

We could build an even bigger hub at the tram depot/train station at Gyle/Gogar. You can see it is really struggling to manage all the transit passengers.

[Hibbyradge]

I've supported this idea for years and, with the pound as weak as it is, now is a great time to introduce it as it wouldn't be noticed at all.

Wait a minute, though. I live in York. It's a terrible idea!

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

I've supported this idea for years and, with the pound as weak as it is, now is a great time to introduce it as it wouldn't be noticed at all.

Wait a minute, though. I live in York. It's a terrible idea!

Seems like a good idea to me.

Shouldnt put any tourists off, its as near to free money as the city will ever get. Surprised it has taken this long to bting it in.

[McD]

Yup. £1 per night, and you can see the point.

We'll **** up the spending, of course. That's what we do. :greengrin


Theres a facility in Gorgie that I'm sure they'll divert some funding to :wink:

[RyeSloan]

Wait for it...this is a tax I agree with! [emoji13]

It's about time major cities like Edinburgh were allowed to get inventive on how they raise their finance.

This seems a relatively simple and low impact way of generating revenue and considering the cost of accommodation I would suggest they could go higher than a £1 a night and not a single visitor would be put off from visiting.

[steakbake]

Wait for it...this is a tax I agree with! [emoji13]

It's about time major cities like Edinburgh were allowed to get inventive on how they raise their finance.

This seems a relatively simple and low impact way of generating revenue and considering the cost of accommodation I would suggest they could go higher than a £1 a night and not a single visitor would be put off from visiting.

Agreed: even a low percentage would be very good, which is very common in Spain and Italy.

[Colr]

Too much tax.

[heretoday]

Tourist Tax sounds good. It might help to maintain our deteriorating public services.

[lord bunberry]

Tourist Tax sounds good. It might help to maintain our deteriorating public services.
I don't have any confidence it will. We have council elections coming up and I sincerely hope whoever wins makes a better job than those gone before.

[CropleyWasGod]

I don't have any confidence it will. We have council elections coming up and I sincerely hope whoever wins makes a better job than those gone before.
To be fair to the recent councils, they've had their hands tied financially by UK and Scottish governments.

Sent from my SM-A510F using Tapatalk

[Jack]

I think a flat £1 per person per night is not the way to go about it.

For one thing every now and then someone has to decide to increase it and by how much then the debate and opposition opens up again. It also has, in my opinion, an unfair effect on cheaper accommodation; £1 added to a £20 night in a hostel alongside £1 added to a £600 a night suite in the Balmoral. Nah, that's shan lol

A percentage, say 1 or 2%, could easily be programmed into a hotel billing system and then left there forever. The amount collected would rise as prices increase and the whingers wouldn't get an annual opportunity to moan :-)

[snooky]

:cool2: I must say, I'm surprised at the support for this tax in posts above.
Though I'm against it, I can see some of the benefits mentioned.

[speedy_gonzales]

We could build an even bigger hub at the tram depot/train station at Gyle/Gogar. You can see it is really struggling to manage all the transit passengers.
My sarcasm radar is offline just now so not sure if you're being serious, apologies for that.
However, Edinburgh Gateway was built with the large developments of Craigs/Maybury & Gogar in mind.
I don't usually buy in to conspiracies but I have heard that these huge developments would find it very difficult to get the green light due to local opposition and the congestion they would cause. Building a relatively large interchange where currently nobody stays is a bit of a mystery.

[GreenLake]

Tax caravans driving across the Scottish border and confiscate all their groceries.

[Jack]

:cool2: I must say, I'm surprised at the support for this tax in posts above.
Though I'm against it, I can see some of the benefits mentioned.

I don't see why any local would be against as, at least in theory. It's not costing us anything while money is going into the local coffers. Just as we get charged similarly by locals abroad ;-)

[McD]

I think a flat £1 per person per night is not the way to go about it.

For one thing every now and then someone has to decide to increase it and by how much then the debate and opposition opens up again. It also has, in my opinion, an unfair effect on cheaper accommodation; £1 added to a £20 night in a hostel alongside £1 added to a £600 a night suite in the Balmoral. Nah, that's shan lol

A percentage, say 1 or 2%, could easily be programmed into a hotel billing system and then left there forever. The amount collected would rise as prices increase and the whingers wouldn't get an annual opportunity to moan :-)


:agree: Yep, it's a fairer and more proportionate way to apply it

[Kavinho]

I don't see why any local would be against as, at least in theory. It's not costing us anything while money is going into the local coffers. Just as we get charged similarly by locals abroad ;-)

So in the long run, "we" (the people) lose out as all cities start to implement these tourist/resort taxes, and some end up priced out of traveling to certain places.

These taxes don't really help in any way.

That extra 10er added to your bill for your long weekend stay (let's say) would just as likely be spent in the local economy either in a bar or a tourist shop.

[Jack]

So in the long run, "we" (the people) lose out as all cities start to implement these tourist/resort taxes, and some end up priced out of traveling to certain places.

These taxes don't really help in any way.

That extra 10er added to your bill for your long weekend stay (let's say) would just as likely be spent in the local economy either in a bar or a tourist shop.

All we're talking about here is a few quid on an individual basis but in total for the community goes some way to contribute to the services the tourists use.

Your average local in Edinburgh takes advantage of all the local amenities and pays around £1200 a year council tax, £3 or £4 a day in local taxes. Your average tourist currently takes advantage of the same local amenities and pays nothing. A pound or two a day doesn't seem, to me, to be unreasonable although as I said earlier I'd like to see something based on percentages.


I'm off to San Francisco tomorrow:

"Sales tax is 8.75 percent; hotel fees in San Francisco include 14 percent occupancy tax and 1–1.5 percent Tourism Improvement District assessment (depending on the location of the property)."

I knew they did it so I just looked it up (jings I didn't realise how much but puts a quid a day into perspective) but it didn't cross my mind when deciding to go.

When I'm abroad I don't mind, I think it's fair I chip in. I see no reason visitors to Edinburgh shouldn't do the same.

[Speedy]

So in the long run, "we" (the people) lose out as all cities start to implement these tourist/resort taxes, and some end up priced out of traveling to certain places.

These taxes don't really help in any way.

That extra 10er added to your bill for your long weekend stay (let's say) would just as likely be spent in the local economy either in a bar or a tourist shop.

Not really. Most people will spend what they will spend regardless of whether they're charged an extra tenner for their hotel.

[Pretty Boy]

So in the long run, "we" (the people) lose out as all cities start to implement these tourist/resort taxes, and some end up priced out of traveling to certain places.

These taxes don't really help in any way.

That extra 10er added to your bill for your long weekend stay (let's say) would just as likely be spent in the local economy either in a bar or a tourist shop.

You've probably been paying 'tourist taxes' for years and never noticed because it's either lumped into the cost of a package holiday or your hotel bill. A quick google search suggests you'd have to be on a pretty strict budget if you were priced out based on it:

Catalonia - between €0.50 and €2.50 per night
Rome - Between €5 and €7 per night depending on star rating
Prague - Between €0.85 and €3 per night
Amsterdam - 5% of accomodation cost
Paris - Between €0.20 and €1.50 per night
Berlin - 5% of accomodation cost
Florida - 5% of accomkdation cost
Dubai - Between £1.77 and £3.33 per room per night
Lisbon - €1 per night

[GreenLake]

While traveling in South East Asia I noticed that the people there hate tatty bank notes, especially if torn or missing corners and they absolutely detest old versions of $20, $50 or $100 dollar bills. I kept a few of the worst notes handy in my wallet so that I could enrage annoying street vendors trying to sell me unwanted souvenirs. I would agree to buy something and get them all excited then hand over their worst nightmare of a dollar bill.

On departing one of the countries airports I remember a departure tax being sprung upon us after the check in desk but before security. The official at the kiosk had a smug look as he asked for the tax so I handed him an ancient ripped $100 bill with a missing corner and several felt pen scribbles. I had tried to offload that particular Benjamin several times and nobody would accept it even although they desperately wanted to sell me something. He was apoplectic with rage but I insisted it was all we had left. I forget which country but it was one of Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam and worth paying the tax just to see the look on the guy's face.

I have been tourist taxed all over the world and I think it's reasonable for Edinburgh to do something similar. Better than a poll tax!