LEADERS from across the West have welcomed plans set out ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget for the region to be empowered to implement an overnight visitor levy, sometimes also known as a ‘tourist tax’, over the coming years.

A small levy on short-term accommodation providers, including Airbnb-style apartment stays, is well-established across Europe and around the world – with money raised often invested into transport improvements and local amenities and services.

Council leaders, including deputy mayor Cllr Kevin Guy in Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) and Bristol leaders past and present, have long campaigned for the ability to raise revenue through a small charge on overnight stays to help maintain and enhance our area’s offer.

The move follows the mayor and council leaders’ new Growth Strategy.

Councillor Kevin Guy, deputy mayor and leader of B&NES Council, said: “We are about to welcome tens of thousands of visitors over the next three weeks to our world-famous Christmas Market which contributes millions to our regional economy but also comes at a cost on our resources. So I welcome a levy which we have long been calling for because it will help making tourism work for everyone.

“We want to sustain the quality of the visitor experience while protecting the wellbeing of our communities, the levy should allow a fairer system, one that recognises the costs as well as the benefits of tourism and allows us to reinvest directly into the services and infrastructure that make great visits possible.”

In a major decentralisation of power from Westminster to the West of England, consultation with the tourism sector locally will proceed any implementation of a levy. A national consultation is open on gov.uk until 18 February for businesses, communities, and others with an interest in the measure.