Fury over plans to tax tourists

Proposal would see visitors charged an additional £1 a night

Plans to charge visitors to Perth and Kinross an additional £1 a night to pay for services in tourism hotspots have met with a furious response from the industry.

Backers say at least £1 million could be raised locally to protect services in areas popular with visitors, such as Loch Leven, Pitlochry and Dunkeld, and provide much-needed maintenance of popular attractions.

The hospitality industry has written off the idea, with Stephen Leckie, chief executive officer of Crieff Hydro and chairman of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, likening it to “killing the goose that laid the golden egg”.

He said: “What they’re basically saying is let’s tax these nasty horrible tourists.

“It’s not very welcoming when they already pay the highest air departure tax in the world and the highest VAT rates in Europe.”

Launching a consultation, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a tourism tax. However, we do recognise that some local authorities are making the case to have the power to do so.”

A Perth and Kinross tourism tax could raise at least £1 million for council coffers, mitigating the effect of cuts in visitor hotspots such as Loch Leven, Pitlochry and Dunkeld.

However, as new council figures reveal revenue from tourism in the district has grown over the past five years, the hospitality industry has attacked the plan, saying it will “kill the goose that laid the golden egg.”

Councillor Willie Robertson of the Liberal Democrats, said the money raised could be used to keep toilets open all year round in Pitlochry and Dunkeld, empty bins more regularly in tourism hot spots and help maintain paths and cycleways.

He said: “Based on a 50% occupancy rate and a tourist tax of £1 per night, the number of bed nights available in Perth in Kinross would raise over £1m.

“Almost everywhere else in the world uses some form of tourist tax to maintain and enhance their facilities. I think Perth and Kinross should consider doing the same.”

He said the council was struggling to maintain existing paths and cycleways.

“We built the outstanding Loch Leven Heritage Trail which now attracts 250,000 visitors a year and gives the local economy a significant boost. Yet it is likely to become increasingly difficult to find the money to maintain this,” he pointed out.

“The same applies to path networks throughout Perth and Kinross and important attractions like the Cateran Trail.”

However, Stephen Leckie, chief executive officer at Crieff Hydro and chairman of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said the industry was strongly opposed to the idea.

“Why do they want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg?,” he said.

“Tourism represents something like a growing 5% of the economy. They haven’t thought it through and that’s the whole point of the consultation. It will show the people who want to introduce a tourism tax what could happen if they do it.”

He said new research will show that for every £1 charged in a tourism levy, £4.50 is taken out of the local economy.

“What they’re basically saying is let’s tax these nasty horrible tourists,” he added.

“It’s not very welcoming when they already they pay the highest air departure tax in the world and the highest VAT rates in Europe. Scotland is already an expensive place to visit.”

William Macleod, Scotland executive director for trade organisation UK Hospitality, said it also opposes the tax.

And Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, warned introducing the tax could push tourism businesses “over the cliff”.

A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “The council will submit a response to the official consultation in due course.”

Why do they want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg? STEPHEN LECKIE, CRIEFF HYDRO

Stephen Leckie, chief executive officer at Crieff Hydro, says he and others in the tourism industry are totally opposed to the idea of a tourism tax, being considered by Perth and Kinross Council.