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POLICY

Call for tourism tax to help reverse austerity

The introduction of a tourist tax would help reverse austerity’s ‘heavy toll’ on councils, the Autonomy Institute think-tank has claimed.

© Balate.Dorin/Shutterstock

© Balate.Dorin/Shutterstock

The introduction of a tourist tax would help reverse austerity's ‘heavy toll' on councils, the Autonomy Institute think-tank has claimed.

In a report, the think-tank argued the implementation of visitor levies would be a ‘sensible first step' in helping councils manage tourism.

The push for tourist tax has previously been backed by a coalition of UK mayors, but chancellor Rachel Reeves is said to oppose the levy.

Calling on the Government to allow councils to introduce charges on hotel visits, the think-tank suggested the move would simultaneously ‘enrich communities that rely on tourism' and discourage ‘harmful overtourism'.

The report read: ‘Such a tax would begin to undo the heavy toll that UK Government austerity has heaped upon councils over the last decade.'

 

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