Highland Visitor Levy On The Agenda Of The Economy And Infrastructure Committee
8th November 2024
On Thursday (14 November) the Economy & Infrastructure Committee will consider a report on a potential Visitor Levy for Highland.
This report sets out a proposed outline of how the scheme would operate and seeks members approval to undertake a public statutory consultation.
The visitor levy has been identified as a priority action within the Council's Programme ‘Our Future Highland 2022-2027'
Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Tourism is one of our most important sectors and the levy could form an essential part of how we sustain, support and develop the services and infrastructure which the sector relies on.
"We have been engaging with stakeholders and I would like to thank all the individuals and businesses who have taken part to date for their input and help to get us to this stage. If approved, the intention is for the 12-week public consultation period to commence on 15 November 2024 and close on 7 February 2025."
The consultation will be published on the Council's website and paper copies will be available upon request. Further information can be found in the report.
The Council is committed to work with partners and stakeholders to address service delivery challenges with a positive approach to change. One of the identified actions is to implement the visitor levy as an enabler to improve infrastructure used by visitors for business or leisure purposes, and to enhance the visitor experience.
The papers for the Economy and Infrastructure Committee will go live on the Council’s website (Friday 8 November) and will be available via this link -
https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/committee/153/economy_and_infrastructure_committee
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The first Highland-wide virtual jobs fair held last month has proved to be a hit with participants and businesses. The week-long virtual event, which was delivered by the Local Employability Partnership for the West - The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides was timed to coincide with Scottish Careers Week 2024.
The Service Centre will close at 5pm on Tuesday 24 December, re-opening on Friday 27 December (opening times 8am to 5pm). It will be closed on 1 and 2 January and open 8am to 5pm from Friday 3 January 2025.
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
In the light of the financial forecast for 2025-26, Highland Council is inviting you to tell us more in the budget preparation for the coming financial year. The budget engagement builds on extensive budget participation which took place in the winter of 2023-24.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Every year Highland Council invites all tenants to have their say on the rent levels for the following year. The Council encourages everyone that lives in a council house to take this chance to have their say.
Communities and Place Committee met yesterday (Wednesday 27 November 2024) and Members agreed the Highland Local Child Poverty Action Report which includes actions for delivery in 2024/25. Reducing child poverty is a priority for the Council and its partners.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Members of the Highland Council's Community and Place Committee have given their support to an action plan focusing on the operating of public conveniences over the next 10 years. Whilst not a statutory function, the Council is the main provider of public conveniences located throughout Highland, operating 74 sites.
