Public feedback will play a key part in developing a draft visitor levy scheme that could be available for three months’ consultation in early 2025.
The Scottish Government's visitor levy legislation (Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act), passed earlier this year, allows councils to introduce a charge on overnight stays in hotels and other short-term accommodations, to raise funds for local services that benefit visitors and residents.
The council received more than 1,200 responses to a pre-consultation survey, and business workshops, which it is using to develop a draft visitor levy scheme.
Councillors considered an update on the process for developing a scheme at the meeting of Council today, 21 November.
The next step will be for a draft scheme for consultation to go to a specially-arranged meeting of Council on 20 December.
Councillor Jim Lynch, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council said:
“Tourism is a key industry for Argyll and Bute. Tourism relies on services that are used also by our communities, from roads to waste to leisure and other services. We have to consider all possible opportunities for investment in both, and the national legislation is about that – raising funds to benefit visitors and residents.
Could investment from a levy be used to sustain and improve visitors’ experience and so keep people coming to Argyll and Bute? With less money to spend on public services, if Argyll and Bute doesn’t have a levy, does it make the area less competitive as a visitor destination? If the area has a levy, what would local people and businesses want it to be spent on to benefit them, and how could we make that happen? These are just some of the points that need to be considered.
Considering a visitor levy for Argyll and Bute is about being both realistic and ambitious for the long term future of tourism in Argyll and Bute.”
For more information please see https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/my-community/recreation-and-leisure/argyll-and-bute-visitor-levy