Title

FINANCE

Public backs tourism tax

More than half of people think councils should have the power to levy a tourism tax, a new survey has found.

More than half of people think councils should have the power to levy a tourism tax, a new survey has found.

The poll, conducted for the Local Government Association (LGA), found 53% of people believe their council should be able to charge tourists a small fee to pay for services.

Research has found that a pound-per-night levy could raise between £238,000 and more than £7m a year depending on the area.

Chair of the LGA's culture, tourism and sport board, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: ‘Giving councils the ability to introduce a local tourism levy means they could reinvest some of the tax income generated by this tourism into their local area into the services that are attracting visitors.'

Last year, Edinburgh City Council voted in favour of introducing the UK's first tourist tax, with a £2 per night room charge.

FINANCE

Whitehall thinks its expenditure should be subject to less scrutiny than the local state

By Ian Miller | 16 March 2026

The patriarchal attitude towards councils is shown in Whitehall’s approach to financial transparency, says Ian Miller.

FINANCE

OBR warns pressures on council finances remain

By Sir Stephen Houghton | 13 March 2026

While the Local Government Finance Settlement represents a welcome step towards fixing local authority finances, the absence of long-term financial stability...

FINANCE

Proposals for Welsh council tax referendums

By Dan Peters | 05 March 2026

Conservatives and Reform UK have proposed a requirement for local authorities to hold a referendum in order to increase council tax by 5% or more.

FINANCE

Spring Statement: OBR paints gloomy picture of council finances

By Martin Ford | 03 March 2026

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has painted a gloomy picture for the future of local government finances.

Popular articles by Laura Sharman