Article by Cllr Dick Cole first published in Cornish Guardian newspaper (6th September 2023)
The benefits and perceived disbenefits of a tourist tax are regularly debated in Cornwall, but it is elsewhere that steps are actually being taken to bring in such a new charge.
Three months ago, a Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament, which – if agreed by MSPs – would give Scotland’s principal councils the ability to apply a levy in all or parts of their areas, if they wish to do so.
The Welsh Government has also confirmed that it intends to bring forward similar legislation for a levy during the present parliamentary term.
The results of a public consultation have recently been published, which show that 58% backed the proposal. Support was even stronger in areas that attracted a large number of tourists.
There has been some criticism of the proposal. Comedian Griff Rhys Jones, who owns holiday accommodation in Pembrokeshire described the tourist tax proposal as “part of a wave of punitive legislation” that would do great harm to the visitor economy. He went on, with ridiculous over-statement, to say that the “beaches, walks and hills” of Wales would end up being “completely deserted” in the future.
In contrast, 73 accommodation establishments within a Business Improvement District (BID) in Manchester have voluntarily come together to collect a city visitor charge of £1 a night. I understand that the stakeholders voted in favour of the initiative, which was spearheaded by the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, and it could raise £3million per annum to be reinvested in the local area.
Tourist taxes are a quite normal thing in numerous countries and, in the context of Cornwall, there are couple of factors which, I think, most people would accept to be true.
The first is that public services in Cornwall are greatly under-funded and, as a consequence, Cornwall Council, the Police, the local National Health Service and other public bodies are struggling. And, in relation to that, the population of Cornwall increases massively in the summer months and this does have an impact on the provision of public services, which central government fails to properly recognise in its funding arrangements.
It seems to me that, unless the UK Government delivers fair funding for Cornwall, we have a duty and a responsibility to build the case for a tourist tax to help safeguard local services all-year-round.
As a campaigner for meaningful devolution, I would welcome elected politicians in Cornwall having the power to decide whether or not there should be a tourist tax to the west of the Tamar.