Tourist tax could deliver a £2.5m festival windfall for Edinburgh

A Tourist Tax could deliver a £2.5 million windfall for Edinburgh just during the Edinburgh Festival, analysis from Scottish Labour suggests.

Labour would devolve the power to local government to charge a Tourist Tax on each over-night stay per person, as a way of raising additional revenue and ensuring more economic power is held locally.

Analysis of the most up to date Edinburgh festival visitor numbers suggests a £2 per night charge could rake in £2.5million for the capital from the Festival alone.

There is growing support for Labour’s Tourist Tax policy, with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) supporting the policy as well as Edinburgh City Council.

Labour said with tourism becoming a booming industry for Scotland, now was the time to introduce the measure to deliver more funding for cash strapped local services.

Labour Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities Monica Lennon said:

“Scotland’s public services are under increased pressure after the SNP government’s brutal £1.5 billion of austerity cuts to local councils.

Our local communities are in serious need of additional funding, which means we need to urgently look at new ways for local authorities to raise revenues, including a tourist tax.

Labour analysis suggests that Edinburgh could have raised £2.5million during the festival alone. That is money that could be ploughed back into vital local services.

With Holyrood due to return next week, Labour will press the SNP government to finally give our local councils more economic power to raise additional revenues and protect services.”

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3 thoughts on “Tourist tax could deliver a £2.5m festival windfall for Edinburgh

  1. Thinking – Labour Scotland’s mantra during 70’s / 80’s – don’t be greedy share the oil – don’t be greedy share the oil – there’s only twenty year’s of oil. Now politician’s smile over financial crumb’s. Labour politician’s ever ask your self’s – where’s Scotland’s oil fund – where’s Scotoil.

    Norway’s got a trillion saved from its oil fortune – Scotland’s got nowt. Why. Because Labour Scotland leader’s – would not allow us to develop our resource. (You know who you are)

    Labour Scotland’s legacy – a country left economically and mentally on it’s knee’s.

    During the 70’s and 80’s when I lived in a Glasgow Labour ghetto – I he heard the silent social misery of the many – what did the feeble fifty do

  2. Also if you get a tourist tax how about paying the living wage to people working the Edinburgh Festival

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