Any consultation on the introduction of a tourist tax needs to be wide-ranging and inclusive in its scope, Highland Council’s convener said yesterday.
Councillor Bill Lobban was responding to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s order earlier this week for a consultation on allowing councils to set a local visitor levy.
Mr Lobban recently gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee, where he emphasised the importance of tourism to the Highlands.
He said: “The Highland region is vast and provides the most spectacular scenery you could see anywhere in the world. We want to provide the best possible facilities and infrastructure and whilst we welcome the huge numbers of visitors, this increase inevitably puts more pressure on our roads, parking, amenities and public conveniences, at a time when council resources are stretched more than ever.
“It is clear that we need to increase the resources available to deliver a high quality visitor experience in a highly competitive tourism sector. A visitor levy could help to fund the investment we desperately need.
“If this consultation exercise is to genuinely look at the all the issues of introducing a visitor levy, it needs to be wide ranging in its scope and inclusive of both public and tourism operators alike.”
Meanwhile Highland Council officers are currently preparing a report to go before councillors in December with the recommendation to engage with all communities, businesses and individuals to gauge their thoughts on the introduction of a visitor levy.
Tourism generated £1.2bn for the Highland economy and employed more than 20,000 people in 2017. Early indications suggest this growth has continued in 2018.
