A small visitor levy will make a big difference to city - Lorna Slater

Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna SlaterScottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater
The Fringe brings out some of the best of Edinburgh. The vast array of comedians, musicians and street performers attract people from around the world. However, particularly over recent years, we’ve also seen the strain this can put on our city.

From strikes by our council refuse workers, to protests against exploitative work practices by venues, all too often the success of the Fringe is built on the back of low pay, long shifts and poor conditions.

I’m pleased that councils have made an improved pay offer to refuse workers, which has seen the potential for further action put on hold for now, but we need a longer-term solution so that they can be paid what they deserve for the vital work they do.

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However, there’s still no end in sight to industrial action on our trains and trams, and all of the packed out and overcrowded buses show just how much our transport can be stretched during the festival period.

Visitors should see our beautiful city at its very best – but to do so, we need well funded services and well paid and valued workers.

All across Scotland, our councils need an urgent funding boost. With huge constraints on government budgets, a key part of what we need to do is give councils the power to raise their own revenue and decide on how to spend it.

That’s why the Scottish Greens secured the UK’s first visitor levy, or ‘tourist tax’ as it’s otherwise known, a small tax that local authorities can add to overnight accommodation.

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I’m delighted to see Edinburgh City Council have confirmed their intention to roll it out locally from 2026.

The proposed Edinburgh levy will raise up to £50 million a year, which can be spent on improving local streets and parks, supporting local cultural projects and building more affordable homes.

To put it in perspective, if the levy had been in place for the sell-out Taylor Swift concerts this summer, it would have raised over £600,000 in just one weekend.

Visitor levies are normal across Europe and have been for decades, with popular destinations like Barcelona, Paris and Venice having already implemented them with no negative impact on visitor numbers.

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It’s a small charge for visitors coming to stay in our cities and towns, but it will deliver a huge funding boost for our communities and the services we all rely on.

A visitor levy will change the Fringe for the better, making our city even more iconic and helping to deliver a better year-round experience for everyone – visitors, locals and workers alike.

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