Holyrood dismisses a tourism tax but what is the alternative?

THE news that the Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee has rejected the idea of a transient tourism levy is disappointing. Not just because the idea is dismissed out of hand, prior to the results of consultation within the tourism sector, but also because no practical alternatives were offered to find a solution for securing greater investment in destination promotion and support for visitor services.

I was also a little surprised that a Lothians list MSP could not support the continued work on the suitability of a tourism tax that has been a successful means of generating income in cities as diverse as Vancouver, Paris and Vienna. So once again...