Council launches consultation on Edinburgh visitor levy

Plans for a visitor levy in Edinburgh are advancing, the City of Edinburgh Council has announced.

Councillors have agreed the main details of the draft scheme and a 12-week public consultation was launched on 23 September, seeking the views of residents, visitors and businesses. The scheme will be finalised in January 2025 and is due to be implemented in the summer of 2026. 

Edinburgh will be the first place in the UK to implement a visitor levy.

A flat five per cent charge per night, capped at seven consecutive nights, is to be introduced. The charge will apply to hotels, short-term lets, hostels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Council leader, Cammy Day said: “A visitor levy presents an innovative way of sustaining the sector and the city.

"It will significantly increase our ability to invest in the visitor experience and the tourism pressures we face, so that everyone can continue to enjoy all that the city has to offer. By better supporting these services we can secure Edinburgh’s future as a top global destination.”