<strong>Local Visitor Levy Manifesto with Recommendations published by STA </strong>
Added: 17 Jan 2023
Our colleagues at the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) have just published a Local Visitor Levy Manifesto with Recommendations report, The Manifesto has been developed with the STA’s Council and Board – which includes representation from ASVA as well as from across the tourism, hospitality, supply, and business landscape The manifesto and report has been shared with MSPs, local authority chief executives and leaders, and key business stakeholders.
The manifesto states that, in the event that visitor levy legislation is introduced, the tourism industry is committed to working closely alongside the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that it is executed in the most effective way and used as a force for good, with net revenue raised reinvested in local tourism priorities that contribute to making Scotland a world leader in 21st century tourism.
It also makes it clear that, from an industry standpoint, it is crucial that there is proper scrutiny, impact assessment and analysis ahead of the legislative process getting underway, with a key role for the newly formed Regulatory Joint Taskforce in considering the concerns from sectors around the significant cost or operational impacts of introducing the power to charge a local visitor levy.
ASVA has played a contributory role in the development of the Manifesto, articulating that views on the introduction of a visitor levy are mixed in our sector, but that there is universal agreement that if such a levy is introduced that the funds generated from it must be used to benefit tourism in local communities. We are pleased to see that this is the central point of the manifesto.
If you wish to read the manifesto, please click here.