The Edinburgh Inquirer’s Post

Another cracking piece on Parliament News. This one https://buff.ly/48ssCbq from #Conservative #MP Selaine Saxby makes the case for raising the VAT threshold for some businesses, while cutting the top rate for the hospitality and tourism sector. This could help turbo charge the sector creating 500,000 jobs by 2029! #parliament #politics #ideas #tourism #hospitality

Edinburgh City Council has voted to introduce Scotland's first transient visitor levy (TVL), marking a significant shift in the city's approach to tourism management. Key points: • 5% charge on accommodation, including hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals • Expected to raise up to £50 million annually • Funds earmarked for public space improvements and arts sector • Implementation planned for the 2026 festival season • Aligns Edinburgh with other major tourist destinations like Amsterdam and New York The decision has sparked debate, with supporters viewing it as a necessary step to manage tourism impact, while critics express concerns about potential negative effects on visitor numbers and the hospitality industry. Council leader Cammy Day states the charge will be of "huge benefit" to the city, while industry representatives warn of potential consequences for Scotland's competitiveness as a tourist destination. As BEFS has noted previously, our places can suffer from a lack of appropriate infrastructure and related facilities to appropriately facilitate the best experiences for both those local to, and those visiting, our cultural heritage. As such any legislation and ensuing revenue must be part of a wider conversation towards a successful management plan to simultaneously celebrate and protect our natural and built heritage, whilst ensuring quality of life for Scotland’s communities. Read more about this decision, its potential impacts, and the ongoing debate surrounding tourist taxes: https://ow.ly/cSHm50TiOem #EdinburghTourism #TouristTax #ScottishHospitality #UrbanDevelopment

A thoughtful piece in The Telegraph today written by Ben Lawrence He's quite right, the model of charging visitors is not new and need not deter visits. Indeed, perhaps somewhat ironically, the visitor tax in Venice has been accompanied by an increase in day trippers, despite it being brought in as a prohibitive measure. You don't pay the tax if you stay overnight If such charges are to be introduced, my view is that there has to be a clear rationale from the outset. The writer is correct; when we helped to develop the Manchester Accommodation BID, the aim was never to restrict numbers, indeed the strategy was the reverse, we wanted to increase overnight stays. And, as Ben confirms, it's worked - hotel occupancy is up and the ABID is now investing over £2.8 million a year directly into the city He seems to hint that such a clear rationale may have been absent with the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch model which he says is now "on hold". Perceptions seem to be that it was led by a local authority needing a "coastal tax" to fill its own budgetary gaps. That doesn't seem to have succeeded as a persuadable rationale Taking the ABID concept to its logical next stages could involve ticketed venues, restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres and other 'paid for' experiences https://lnkd.in/dFqkM_hG

The idea of putting off some people from visiting the City is entirely the purpose of the Tourist Tax. It's not a snobbish thing, it's controlling a 'cheap holiday' boom that involves as many people as possible living in an Airbnb, or similar. Edinburgh is DEFINITELY already experiencing this. It's making Landlords money, that's why there are 'Tourism providers' fighting against it. You can STILL visit Edinburgh on a budget, as you can with ANY European City. You've always been able to. I've done it. However, you want to avoid the problems of Amsterdam, Palma, Tenerife and Prague. Good (not elitist or expensive) places of all kinds have been controlling large crowds of guests (primarily 'Stag' and 'Hen' Nights), for decades. It's not making Edinburgh 'exclusive', it's good business. Edinburgh can't be seen as the place every tabloid journalist uses as an exemplar of a 'cheap holiday'. If you look at the places they already use for this, as an example of Scotland being expensive, you can see, they face their own challenges. They ARE cheaper. Usually, for a reason. The notion of Scotland as a 'cheap' place is what we're fighting against. It ALWAYS has a direct correlation with Quality. Scotland is (at last) enjoying a BOOM in quality Foreign visitors, who spend money. We need to be able to learn from the mistakes of others. It's not vulgar, it's sensible.

Rising protests across Europe are increasingly (finally!) seeing local government responces: taxes on cruise and accommodation, short term rental bans, dual pricing for tourists and locals🚦. Barcelona’s cancellation of short-term rental licenses in 2028 is just one example. But I wonder: Some initiatives come across as a ‘big hammer’ to fix what might be symptoms for issues beyond tourism🔨. So question: what initiatives work and what function as symbolic acts to amend (or distract from?) deeper issues of justice and more fair distribution in tourism (and society at large)⚖️.

🚫 Cambridge hoteliers reject nightly £2 tourist tax proposal - BBC 🚫 Cambridge's hotel industry is taking a stand against the proposed nightly £2 tourist tax. The city's hoteliers are voicing their concerns about the potential impact of this tax on tourism and local businesses. This proposal has sparked a heated debate within the hospitality sector. Hotel owners and managers are rallying together to oppose the tax, arguing that it could deter visitors and place an additional financial burden on tourists. The hashtag #CambridgeHotels and #TourismTaxDebate have been circulating, as stakeholders weigh in on the potential consequences of this controversial proposal. The local community and businesses are closely following this issue as it unfolds. Read the full article on BBC to stay informed and join the conversation. #CambridgeHotels #TourismTaxDebate #KeepCambridgeOpen https://ift.tt/pTnFvQk

Ibiza News Blog: Latest Updates

Why you should never stay in a hotel in Cuba 😳 (and what to do instead)👇 This may come as a surprise but when you are staying in a hotel in Cuba, you are not actually supporting the Cuban people and the local community. 🤯 ➡️ Hotel workers are paid a minimum wage of roughly about $50 a month - yes $50! - which is not enough for them to live on. The other thing about staying in a hotel is that you also aren’t learning anything about the culture, you’re not seeing the real Cuba, and you’re not giving back in the very simple way that you could if you decided to stay instead in a casa particular. 💡 Casa particulares are private homestays. You get to stay with a local, and not only do they benefit from the amount you’ve spent on the accommodation but it’s also truly a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the culture and see what the island is about. SAVE this post for when you’re ready to plan your trip to Cuba and please please please, do share it with anyone else you know who is considering going. The money that you spend on these trips can have such a powerful impact on the local people when done right. #discovercuba #cubatipshavanacuba #sustainablestays #womenwhotravel #maketravelmatter #cubanlife #supportlocaltourism

Are tourist taxes a new placemaking trend in the making? It's a placemaking move that many cities have considered (and mostly dropped) in recent years. But Edinburgh have been the first UK city to take the plunge. The Scottish capital (and renown cultural force) has decided that it needs to exploit its popularity in tourism to ensure it can continue to re-invest in all the things that make it so popular - as well as making things better for its citizens in these cash strapped times. Edinburgh have now done what many other prominent and progressive cultural capitals have already done including Venice, Amsterdamn, Berlin, New York and, most recently, Barcelona. Is this a solution to ensuring towns and cities can continue to re-invest in their cultural offering? Or will it just be another scheme to skim off funds to prop up other areas of struggling city finances. Will communities and creative talent actually see any benefits from this new source of income? Watch this space..... #touristtax #tourismlevey #placemaking https://lnkd.in/eFarzSKM

On July 1, 2024, California implemented new legislation with respective measures to enhance consumer protection and transparency in the travel industry. In light of Kate Leahy's National Geographic article, while California and European tourist taxes operate in different contexts, they both deliver economic benefits to host communities. In the same vein of transparency and disclosure, the significance of how the tax sustains visitor experience initiatives can be just as important to pass along to the guest. #enhanceguestengagement #improvingtourism