Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole hotels vote for 'tourist tax'

Funds made through the tourist tax will be used to help sustain and develop events like Bournemouth Air Festival

The first coastal 'tourist tax' in the UK is set to be introduced in Dorset.

The tax, for visitors to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will be launched on 1 July.

Hoteliers voted in favour of the tax, which will require guests staying in larger hotels in the BCP area to pay an extra £2 levy per room, per night.

It comes after a consultation by the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) and is expected to generate £12m in the next five years.

Funds made through the tourist tax will be used to help sustain and develop events like Bournemouth Air Festival, Arts by the Sea, Poole Christmas Maritime and Christmas Tree Wonderland.

Visitors to larger hotels in the BCP area will now be required to pay an extra £2 levy per room, per night

In a statement, ABID said accommodation providers in the BCP area had "come together to form the first of its kind scheme to strengthen and grow tourism in the coastal area".

It said the tourist tax was designed to "safeguard the local economy" by generating money to attract more visitors to the Dorset coast.

Chair of the shadow ABID board, Rosie Radwell, from Marsham Court Hotel said the additional funds would "have a huge impact on the future of tourism" in the area.

She added: "I would like to thank our fellow accommodation providers for recognising the power of partnership working and the necessity to act now. We are excited about the future and have already started to plan projects and events to enhance tourism in the area."

BCP Council has previously announced cost-cutting measures including an end to subsidies for the resort's annual air festival after 2024, as well as ceasing to pay for entries to the Blue Flag beach award scheme.

Although English councils have no powers to impose tourist taxes, several, such as Manchester and Liverpool, have effectively done so via a legal workaround, according to a House of Commons briefing paper.

Councillor Vikki Slade, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said: "We congratulate the Accommodation BID on being the first for a coastal destination. We are excited at the prospect of working alongside them to deliver a more productive and resilient visitor economy and destination management."

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