Call to introduce tourist tax in 'heritage cities'

The two cities want a formal tourist tax system to be introduced

A tourist tax at two key heritage cities would be a "fairer system", two council leaders say as they call on the government to introduce a levy system.

In a joint letter, the Bath & North East Somerset (BANES) Council leader Kevin Guy and the Cambridge City Council leader Cameron Holloway have urged the local government secretary Angela Rayner to support the "destination" locations.

They say both cities are under strain because of tourism, adding tourists have "costs associated with them".

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said there were no plans to introduce a tourist tax system, and said a Business Improvement District can introduce overnight levies.

Manda Rigby supports the introduction of a tourism tax in the historic city of Bath

Councillor Manda Rigby from Banes said: "I think it is an idea whose time has come.

"It speaks to fairness, it speaks to the fact that the burden for looking after the public realm should not fall purely on our own taxpayers when in fact tourists benefit from it and tourists create a demand for it."

The call for a tourism tax hasn't received universal support, however.

Speaking to the BBC, Kathryn Davis, who is the CEO of Visit West, called for local businesses to be consulted.

She said: "I think there is a risk; we need consultation. Because of our proximity to London, we could be done as a day trip.

"If you're an international visitor who has already paid for your visa and everything else, if you didn't have to stay overnight, why would you? You could just come for a day and we could lose all that valuable income."

Bath sees six million tourists taking in the sights around the city every year, while Cambridge welcomes more than seven million people.

The idea of a tourism tax is to be discussed by Bath and North East Somerset councillors at a meeting on 17 July.

The UK government has no law which gives English local authorities the power to impose visitor levies themselves. But, Scotland and Wales have granted their councils the ability to tax tourists.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "There are currently no plans to introduce a tourism tax in England.

"Places can already choose to introduce a levy on overnight stays through the Accommodation Business Improvement District model."