Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, today welcomed news that the government will give English Mayors the power to introduce a tourism levy.
Bath attracts around six million visitors every year, making it one of the UK’s most visited heritage cities. While tourism brings jobs and supports local businesses, it also places significant pressure on infrastructure and services.
Councillor Guy, who is also the Deputy Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority, which will be given the tax-raising powers, said: “We are about to welcome tens of thousands of visitors over the next three weeks to our world-famous Christmas Market which contributes millions to our regional economy but also comes at a cost on our resources. So I welcome a levy which we have long been calling for because it will help making tourism work for everyone.
“We want to sustain the quality of the visitor experience while protecting the wellbeing of our communities. That means giving councils the tools to manage tourism in a way that reflects local needs and priorities. I am proud of the huge role Bath plays in supporting the national visitor economy – the levy should allow a fairer system, one that recognises the costs as well as the benefits of tourism and allows us to reinvest directly into the services and infrastructure that make great visits possible.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council will work closely with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), Visit West and the local visitor economy to explore how the levy could be introduced. Any scheme would be developed in consultation with the hospitality sector, which has faced significant financial pressures since COVID.
Bath’s visitor economy is a major contributor to the region. Last year, the Bath Christmas Market attracted an estimated 444,000 visitors, generating £60.4m turnover for businesses and supporting more than 500 jobs. However, events and tourism also create costs for the council beyond the running of these attractions.
Councillor Guy added: ”“This levy should just be the start of a conversation with Government to make the UK tourism sector one of the most successful and sustainable in the world.”
ENDS
Note to editors
Total trips to B&NES in 2024 was 5,277,000 with staying visits of 1,062,000 (made up of overseas at 353k + domestic at 709k).
Scottish cities already apply a 5–7% levy; Wales is considering £1.30 per person per night.
Potential levy revenue would be reinvested in:
Marketing and growing a sustainable visitor economy
Maintaining heritage assets
Improving transport and public spaces
Supporting infrastructure impacted by visitors