UK city could start charging visitors £2 tourist tax per night
Hotel guests could face a nightly tourist tax under new proposals.
Cambridge could start charging hotel guests £2 per night under a new scheme designed to raise money.
Hotels with more than 10 rooms would be covered under the levy while guests at Airbnbs and self-catered accommodation wouldn’t be charged.
If the proposals are approved, the charges are expected to be brought in from 2025 and could raise up to £2.6million per year.
The report suggests the proposed scheme could achieve “significant investment in the visitor economy in the Greater Cambridge area at a level previously unseen”.
Tourist taxes are common in many European cities and Manchester recently introduced a similar scheme.
Jemina Little, economic development manager at Cambridge City Council, said that there would need to be a ballot of hotels within the area.
However, Little said that initial conversations about the scheme with hotel owners had been positive.
Labour councillor Cameron Holloway said: “I think it’s a great initiative and one that would be really positive for the city.”
Cambridge is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations with many visitors travelling to see the city’s iconic university.
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