Reports from the UK suggest that London is the latest major city to consider a tourist tax on international visitors.
The capital is considering following Barcelona, Venice and Paris in charging a small levy through its hotels.
According to www.bbc.com, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said he is “happy to look into” the possibility of a tourist tax.
A similar scheme has already been introduced in Manchester, known as the City Visitor Charge, which is believed to have raised £2.8m (approx. $5.4m) for the city in its first year.
“I’m happy to look into where it’s worked, what the issues are in relation to that particular policy… we’ll be looking at what cities are doing not just across Europe, but in the UK as well,” Mr Khan is quoted as saying.
Members of the Green Party have welcomed the idea, saying it could fund more public toilets across the capital, while a Liberal Democrat member of the London Assembly said the money could go towards London’s struggling nightlife sector.
However, not everyone is in favour of the idea with critics saying it could drive tourists away and lead to empty hotel beds.
UKHospitality, a trade body representing the sector, said additional taxes would be “extremely damaging”.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, told the BBC that the UK “ranks poorly” in the global competition for tourists a high VAT rate, adding: “The introduction of a tourist tax would only damage that further.”
