Holidaymakers to pay extra to visit Edinburgh after first tourist tax in the UK is revealed
VISITORS planning a holiday to Edinburgh could be paying an extra tourist tax the next time they visit the Scottish capital.
The Scottish Government is set to grant local councils the power to introduce a new levy, which will see visitors pay up to £2 per night when they're staying in a hotel or Airbnb.
However, campsites will be exempt from the charge.
There was a consultation on the tax between October 15 and December 10 last year and a , known as a Transient Visitor Levy, will look like.
The final vote on the tax will come on February 7, where Councillor Adam McVey will be asking Edinburgh Councils to officially approve the plans.
While a number of other cities and regions, including Oxford and the Scottish Highlands, have considered a tourist tax, Edinburgh will be the first in the UK to introduce it.
It is thought that it could raise £14.6 million a year for the city which saw approximately 3.85 million visitors in the past five years.
The date of the tourist tax being introduced has not yet been confirmed.
Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) previously expressed concerns of the city turning into a "second Venice" due to overtourism.
City council leader Adam McVey told : "Tourism and hospitality are key drivers of our economy and this levy provides us with a way to sustainably support its continued success and reduce impacts on residents all year round."
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A survey found that 90 per cent of residents were in support of the tax, however, some worried it could drive trade away.
The Scottish Tourism Alliance said the decision was "disappointing" as it could affect tourism to the city.
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A tourist tax could soon be introduced to Bali of £7 to enter in a bid to preserve the history of the islands.
Venice has also considered a ten euro tourist tax to the Italian city.
It would tackle the problem of mass tourism by targeting day trippers and cruise goers who do not currently pay the hotel tourist tax.