Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Sunday, 6th July 2008

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the Edinburgh Evening News site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Death of tourist tax plan 'is premature'



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

CLAIMS that Edinburgh's planned tourist tax is "dead in the water" were today branded premature.
Members of the Edinburgh Principal Hotels Association, which represents the Capital's biggest hotels, voted against the proposed two per cent tourist visitor levy (TVL).

Association chairman Peter Dornom said: "As far as we're concerned this scheme is now dead in the water. I can't see how it can go on from here when it has no real support in the industry."

But Tom Buchanan, the city council's economic development leader, said the detailed proposal was still being developed.

He said: "It is precipitate to try to kill it off at this stage.

"Just to say it's stone dead is premature. There are a range of people involved in this. Other people need to have their say as well."

Under the scheme, visitors would have an additional charge added to their bill.

Money raised by the levy would help pay for festivals, events and marketing initiatives.

Councillor Buchanan said the people best placed to decide how the cash was spent were the industry themselves, but he acknowledged supporters of the TVL had to persuade sceptics of the merits of the levy.





The full article contains 202 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 13 May 2008 10:17 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Biker,

Ayr 13/05/2008 11:11:16
What merit can there be to adding another tax to visitors bills. The hotel and catering industries are on their uppers already and now Tom Buccanan wants to hobble them even more? Potential visitors to the capital will not encouraged by stupidity such as this.
As for the idea that the levy would be put into fetivals nd the like. Dont make me laugh,
2

Kdv,

Edinburgh 13/05/2008 11:42:06
Tom Buchanan and his cronies need to start answering to the people of Edinburgh

A complete audit is needed.
Jail sentences should be handed out for incompetence.
We would only have to jail one or two the rest would then get the message.
The Edinburgh citizens have had enough of continued incompetence, which has lasted decades.
Something needs done now.
3

Duncan in Edinburgh,

13/05/2008 11:54:18
#1 WHAT? The hotel and catering industries are making record profits in Edinburgh for pity's sake! On their uppers? What planet are you orbiting sunshine?
4

Steven P,

edinburgh 13/05/2008 12:56:13
I think the Council should tell the Edinburgh Principal Hotels Association that all public cash for festivals, events and marketing initiatives is withdrawn and the hotel industry can fund their own tourist initiatives themselves. Many citizens would be only to glad to see the city cleared of excess visitors and hotel prices returned to a more sensible level.
As if 2% on a hotel bill of 200 quid will deter tourists.
Get real or fund visitor facilities yourself.

5

urban poacher,

Edinburgh 13/05/2008 14:50:46
since it is the tourists who are going to pay it not the hoteliers then it is not going to make a difference to them unless it puts people off which it probably going to do and then the council and hoteliers all sink together
6

Biker,

Ayr 13/05/2008 18:00:23
#3 Duncan. At this time of the year yes I agree, but during the closed months perhaps even you can see that a downturn im moneys has an ongoing effect.
I repeat, do you think tourists will continue to come here if the prices rise to cover an extra tax? Doubt it.
7

Saloux,

Edinburgh 13/05/2008 18:02:34
Nothing wrong with the concept of a tourist tax - edinburgh seems to be run for tourists and not the local population - but rather than chicking the money into more festivals use it to reduce the council tax and/or fund schools etc.
8

ConnorD,

13/05/2008 18:08:49
Isn't the tourist tax to pay for Pete Irvine's Hogmanay Festival ......um, bash? no. Extravaganza? no. Fun and Games? no, not that either. Try, con! Why can't we comment on that story, EN?
9

Empirehater,

da burgh 13/05/2008 19:56:48
A tourist tax is essential , 1-2 % is not a fortune and would easily be incorporated into bills - it is time that the people of edinburgh stopped paying for the many events & attractions that draw tourists and provide hoteliers , publicans and prime located retailers with their profits.
10

celtic4,

USA 14/05/2008 00:50:51
Next year I will become one of your "tourists" and I won't be staying in Edinburgh, so hotels, keep your extra tax. With the trip to Scotland costing dear enough, you will lose some tourists for sure. I will be one, as I will stay in some smaller village. Especially now.
11

Biker,

Ayr 14/05/2008 11:06:22
celtic4 Well said, my point exactly.

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.