The Scottish Government have launched a public consultation on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill – more commonly referred to as the “Tourist Tax”. If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the bill will allow councils to tax accommodation (hotels, B&Bs etc) with a charge based on a percentage of the accommodation cost. How much is charged, and how the money is then spent, will be left up to individual councils.
We know that a lot of members have strong feeling about this we would encourage you to take part in the consultation which can be found here.
The bill will also mandate councils to consult on the level of the charge and on how the money is spent, and we understand that Highland Council will start that consultation in the near future. We want to represent all our members views as fully as possible and would encourage you to email our Chief Executive at colin@inverness-chamber.co.uk with any thoughts. We’re interested on whether you agree or not with the proposal, but also if it goes ahead, on what percentage you feel is reasonable, and what projects you would like to see the money spent on.
It’s our job to represent our members – make your views heard!