Edinburgh council votes to give backing in principle to cruise levy

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Edinburgh council has agreed to support in principle moves to introduce a cruise ship levy in Scotland.

The Scottish Government announced in its Budget earlier this month that it would carry out a consultation on the idea.

Speaking at a meeting of the full city council on Thursday, SNP councillor Danny Aston said there were well over a million cruise ship passengers visiting Scotland each year, a high percentage of whom came to Edinburgh, but typically they would not pay the proposed new tourist tax because they were not staying overnight.

Cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse anchored off NewhavenCruise ship Celebrity Eclipse anchored off Newhaven
Cruise ship Celebrity Eclipse anchored off Newhaven | Peter Devlin

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He said cruise ship tourism impacted on local communities and services in many of the same ways as other tourism and that Edinburgh should be able to benefit from the city's increasing popularity as a cruise ship destination.

He said: "I think most councillors are quite excited by the new visitor levy that we'll be getting soon and looking forward to the benefits it will bring. We should also welcome the Scottish Government's announcement of the cruise ship levy as its natural counterpart and a further example of the Scottish Government empowering local authorities with new revenue raising options."

Green councillor Chas Booth said the council should support the cruise ship levy in principle, though there would be details to be ironed out.

Tory Tim Jones moved no action, but the council voted 47 to nine to back the levy in principle.

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