Edinburgh Introduces UK’s First City-Wide Visitor Levy

Edinburgh has become the first UK city to introduce a city-wide visitor levy, adding a 5% charge to eligible paid overnight accommodation. The levy is calculated before VAT and applies to the first five consecutive nights of a stay. Hotels, serviced apartments, guest houses, hostels, holiday rentals, camping sites and selected visitor accommodation are covered. The scheme is expected to generate up to £50 million annually, with the funds supporting public spaces, tourism infrastructure, cultural attractions and visitor services. More than £90 million in investment has already been planned over three years for infrastructure, heritage, events, destination management and improvements across neighbourhoods.