Council Leader Cammy Day has welcomed the publication of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee’s Stage 1 Report on the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill.
Commenting on the report, he said:
“Having long campaigned for the powers to introduce a visitor levy, the publication of the Parliamentary Committee’s report is another step in the right direction.
“The committee clearly shares our view – and that of the vast majority of witnesses who gave evidence – that a levy presents a major opportunity to generate millions of pounds in additional revenue to support, sustain and develop our visitor economy, and our city – just as so many other major cities do so successfully across the world.
“In particular, I welcome committee’s support for our asks for more local flexibility over the design of the scheme and how it can be spent, and that the 18-month time bar [on introducing the scheme] should be reduced or removed altogether.
“I hope the Scottish Government agree with these recommendations in full ahead of January’s stage 1 debate, paving the way for us to introduce a long-awaited levy for Edinburgh, and the significant benefits it will bring to our residents, businesses and visitors.”
Meanwhile, residents and visitors are being invited to have their say on the council's plans to introduce a charge on all overnight stays. A survey launched in November remains open until 17 January to gather views so please take part before it closes. The feedback will be used to develop formal public consultation in the spring of 2024.