Visitor levy can restore balance for all of us - Ian Murray

One of the things I love about Edinburgh is that we are a worldwide destination for visitors from overseas. Who doesn’t want their hometown to be a go-to spot for people across the world? And we are very very proud of it.

Part of this is undoubtedly down to our cultural status and the appeal of the festivals.

Just last week, Chris Murray – the new MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh – led a debate in Westminster Hall recognising the amazing contribution of the Edinburgh Festivals to our city, Scotland and the world. It was a fantastic debate and Chris deserves huge credit for leading it.

Our appeal to visitors is also, of course, down to our fascinating history, our stunning and dramatic landscape, our great restaurants and pubs and – it almost goes without saying – our people.

But let’s be realistic – having so many visitors coming to our city can put pressure on our services, infrastructure and communities.

This is not to say that tourism is a bad thing. Far from it. I welcome the contribution visitors makes to the local economy. And it’s worth noting the social contribution too – having people from across the world visit Edinburgh makes our city a more vibrant and exciting place.

But we must balance the needs of residents and visitors. So I welcome that the City of Edinburgh Council has launched a formal 12-week public consultation on draft proposals for a Visitor Levy.

The Scottish Government dragged their heels for years on passing legislation giving councils the power to introduce such a levy. I’m pleased that they finally decided to listen to councils, Scottish Labour MSPs and local communities on this issue.

The draft scheme – which will be the first of its kind in the UK – proposes that visitors staying in overnight accommodation will pay a fixed fee per night of five percent of the accommodation cost, capped at seven consecutive nights. This would apply to hotels, short-term lets, hostels and B&Bs.

The scheme will be the first of its kind in the UK, though several other cities in Europe including Barcelona and Amsterdam already have similar schemes in place.

Councillors have said that the levy could generate revenue in the tens of millions within a few years. They’ve said that the money would be reinvested into the city, into things like affordable housing, infrastructure and support for out burgeoning visitor numbers.

It’s great to see that the debate has already commenced, and that the community is getting stuck in to the issue. I know that the Cockburn Association, a local heritage and civic amenity charity, is holding a conference on sustainable tourism at the end of the month.

The consultation is open until mid-December. Whatever your views on the matter, I would strongly encourage you to get involved and have your say.

I love Edinburgh. We all love Edinburgh. Lets work together to make our city the best place to live, work and visit in the world.

Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South and Secretary of State for Scotland