Scottish Government's tourist levy bill welcomed by Highland Council leader

TOURIST levies may be on the cards for Highland visitors after moves by the Scottish Government were welcomed by the most senior councillor in the region.

Highland Council leader Raymond Bremner said the local authority will now be able to "plan for the introduction of this local levy" after the Scottish Government today signalled its intention to introduce such a Bill to Holyrood.

Cllr Bremner said: “The Highland Council has long supported the idea of a tourist levy to enable the local authority to invest in local infrastructure and is a commitment in our Council Programme.

"The introduction of the Bill is good news and means we can now plan for the introduction of this local levy following approval of the Bill by Parliament.”

Back in December 2019, the council approved the findings of a public consultation supporting the introduction of a tourist visitor levy (or TVL) and committed to further work to develop the best scheme for the Highlands.

For more information about this visit www.highland.gov.uk/tvl.

The idea of a tourist levy is likely to spark a mix of delight and concern among different sections of the Highlands. Residents living in tourist hotspot areas have long complained about the negative impacts of high volumes of visitors – in the form of littering, road congestion, damage to road surfaces, increases in the number of holiday lets driving local residents out of the housing market.

Some business leaders, meanwhile, have urged caution, citing their own fears that levies could drive tourists away and harm the local economy.

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