Edinburgh City Council mulling hotel bed tax

08/12/2011 15:38:41

Staff in hotel jobs in Edinburgh may start adding a bed tax to customers' bills in a bid to raise extra funds towards cultural activities in the city, it has been revealed.

Local council officials are hoping to raise an extra £10 million per year by adding a levy of £1 to £2 for every night's stay at Edinburgh's hotels.

However, hoteliers have claimed the addition of this extra taxation on visitors could damage tourism.

"We already pay a profit-related property tax, then we've got corporation tax and income tax, so this seems very unfair," commented Colin Paton of the Edinburgh Hoteliers' Association.

Taxes of this sort are already in use in a number of foreign destinations, including New York, Venice and Vancouver.

Meanwhile, the recent addition of a pair of giant Pandas - Tian Tian and Yang Guang - at Edinburgh Zoo could help to spark a boost in tourism for the city.

Posted by Ross J Hink

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