Transform Scotland has made a fresh appeal for a tourist tax to be introduced in Edinburgh.
The Scottish government has been carrying out a public consultation regarding the use of a Transient Visitor Levy (TVL).
The City of Edinburgh Council said that it would impose a £2 per night room charge fee if allowed. A TVL has the potential to raise £13.6m per annum in the city.
Transform Scotland, a sustainable transport charity, said that this move is expected to have the support of Edinburgh residents.
It carried out an online survey of 320 residents, of which 78% of respondents believed that a Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) would protect Edinburgh. They also thought that it would help manage tourism around the country.
Respondents to the poll said that the revenue can be used for investing in the city’s infrastructure, including improvements of streets and public transport.
Colin Howden, the Director of Transform Scotland, said: “There is global concern about the impacts of tourism, from fuelling the growth in aviation emissions, to the impacts that large tourist volumes have on fragile historic environments and ecosystems. The volume of tourism is having severe impacts on Scotland’s transport system. During Edinburgh’s festivals, our bus network now routinely grinds to a halt. So it’s clear that something needs to be done to tackle the impacts of tourism in Scotland.”
Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council leader, said: “Time after time, the evidence points to strong and growing support for a visitor levy in Edinburgh and this latest poll back up our own survey results. I agree that revenue raised by a levy should be re-invested into managing and supporting sustainable tourism and its impacts to the benefit of our residents. That’s something we’ll fully map out with those in the industry, our partners and resident groups.”
Tags: Transform Scotland
