A bill has been proposed by Welsh lawmakers to introduce a “small” visitor levy that could see visitors to the country paying up to £1.25 per night by 2027. Finance secretary Mark Drakeford introduced the bill on Monday, 25 November for consideration by the Senedd , the Welsh Parliament, who will scrutinise and vote on the legislation.
A final decision may not be made until 2025. The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc ( Wales ) Bill proposes that people staying overnight in Wales will pay a small charge, with the money raised being reinvested in local tourism activity and infrastructure. The legislation will give local communities the power to decide on whether they want to introduce a levy into an area, giving them an opportunity to generate additional revenues.
This will include funding towards cleaning beaches, maintaining parks, footpaths and toilets, raising revenue for public services and investing in sustainable tourism. The government estimates that if all Welsh local authorities choose to introduce a visitor levy, it could generate up to £33m a year. The bill currently proposes that the levy would be set up at 75p per person, per night for those staying in hostels and on campsites.
A £1.25 tax would be charged per person, per night to people staying in all other accommodation types. The levies are to be introduced based on what each authority thinks is best for their community, and the earliest that the taxes may be introduced could be 2027 after co.
