'Tourism tax' proposal concerns local businesses

People in the tourism sector in Brighton say they are concerned over a potential "tourism tax", with one hotelier saying it could "just end up as another bill" for businesses.

Brighton & Hove City Council leaders are lobbying the government to bring in the levy which other cities have introduced adding to the cost of overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and short‑term lets.

Jan Etches, from the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, says: "If people are finding that Brighton is too expensive to stay I'm afraid that it will have an impact on other local businesses."

The council's Labour leader Bella Sankey said other areas with similar schemes had not seen a drop in visitors or investment.

A so-called "tourism tax" is already in place in destinations including Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.

Currently in Liverpool, people are charged £2 per room per overnight visit, while Manchester's voluntary scheme is set at £1 a night.

Sankey said the money could be used to attract new events and to improve marketing to bring more people to the city.

Etches said she feared the tax would stop people from staying overnight in Brighton and eating at local restaurants.

"We're not just competing with other destinations along the coast here, we're actually competing with European holidays as well, and we all know that everyone talks about getting a cheap holiday abroad," she said.

Claudia Marlowe, co-owner of Paskins Guesthouse in Kemptown, said she was not "completely opposed" to the levy but feared it would "just end up as another bill" for hotels.

"If they could do it in the train stations or at the airport, another way to tax them that wouldn't be directly us, I would be for it," she explained.

Paul Callingham, chairman of Starboard Hotels Ltd, which owns the ibis Styles London Gatwick Airport hotel, says the levy could be a "possibility" if guests are charged at the desk rather than it being added to the room rate, as it currently has to be by law.

He says business rates should already be put towards benefiting local communities and boosting tourism.

Opposition parties in Brighton are split on the issue.

The Greens support a tourism tax, but want elected representatives and communities to have a say on how the money is spent.

While the Conservatives recently tabled a motion saying the move will impose another financial burden on businesses, with costs passed onto visitors.

The Liberal Democrats and Reform UK are not represented on the council.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said the visitor levy would ensure popular cities benefited from "even more tourism" while giving mayors more money to put into local priorities.

"The final design of the levy has not been decided but we've engaged closely with local authorities across the country on the design, and will set out next steps in due course," they added.

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