Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider  

 

Council to consult on tourism transient visitor levy

13th December 2018

The Highland Council is to carry out a public consultation on the implementation of a transient visitor levy in the New Year.

During the Council's public engagement activity during November, a strong theme was support for raising income from tourism, including a tourist levy, which could support local infrastructure, as well as the tourism sector itself.

At a meeting of The Highland Council held today (13 December) in Inverness, Members agreed that in addition to the Council submitting its response to the Local Governance Review on tourism taxes - being carried out by the Scottish Government and Cosla - the Council will highlight that it is to carry out its own consultation on the issue of a tourism levy.

Councillors agreed that the public consultation in Highland will be managed and delivered ‘in-house' and that a Council officer group will work with the Council’s Tourism Working Group to implement the project. Where necessary, an independent facilitator will be engaged to ensure that an impartial response is secured during engagement with stakeholders.

The proposed consultation will commence in early 2019 and be completed in the spring.

Cllr Allan Henderson, Chair of the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee said: "While the Council will be responding to the national consultation it is important that we add to this debate by gathering information that is specific to Highland. To do so, we need to engage with as wide an audience as possible to help decide what and where is unique and special about Highland tourism so that we can make the case for Highland at a national level."

Convener Bill Lobban said: "We are already hearing in our engagement with the public that people are interested in new opportunities to make the most of tourism economy in the Highlands. A local consultation will help us to gauge the level of support for a tourist levy here, which could provide the means for improving our infrastructure and protecting and enhancing our environment."

Cllr Maxine Smith, Leader of the Opposition added: “I have been lobbying for this for several years now. I sincerely believe there is a way to raise money that will benefit both local Council services, that are affected by so many tourists, such as potholes, toilets etc., but that will also benefit the tourism sector.

“Anything we make better in the Highlands will be good for all, not just tourists, but if you are visiting an area and it cannot provide you with quality ancillary products, such as sufficient layby’s, toilets, parking sites, waste services then you are less likely to return. If people visit us here and have a first class time, they will tell others and also return another year.

“The industry should not be worried, they are not being asked to pay anything extra, it is only a few £’s from their patrons, which is commonplace in Europe and works well. We could reach a situation in 5-10 years where we have spare monies, which can be set aside specifically for a ”tourism fund” that hoteliers and others could bid into, if they had a good idea. This consultation is about finding out not just what the industry wants, but what our local Highlanders want.

“We all know funding has been cut so we must be pro-active in looking at raising our own funds. The Highlands has a massive tourist industry and this is not going to change simply because some of them are asked to pay a few more £’s each day for their visit.”

The Council will promote in the New Year how and where people can take part in the Council’s transient visitor levy consultation through news releases, the Council’s website and social media and the Council will be in direct contact with industry groups and community councils among other groups.”

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Yesterday
Members Agree Digital Ambition For Highland Council - Or How To Make Cuts Without Saying SoThumbnail for article : Members Agree Digital Ambition For Highland Council - Or How To Make Cuts Without Saying So
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation.   The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.  
14/3/2024
Clarification On The Role Of MCR Pathways' Coordinators And Mentors In Highland Schools
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme.   Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.  
15/3/2024
Council Agrees A New Draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan.   The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.  
15/3/2024
Members agree Highland Council's new Community Wealth Building Strategy
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy.   They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.  
15/3/2024
£60m Capital Investment Approved For Roads And Infrastructure In Highland
Plans to invest up to £60m new Capital in Highland roads and infrastructure have been approved by Members at the Council meeting on 14 March 2024.   The decision will see an additional £40m Capital investment in roads and transport infrastructure.  
10/3/2024
Highland Council Budget - Delivery Plan Sets Out Roadmap To Deliver Savings And Investment
A draft Delivery Plan sets out a roadmap which will ensure the delivery of £54.6m savings and over £100m investment agreed by Council over the next 3 years.   The report is a difficult to follow series looing at areas but does not specify where the cuts to jobs will come over the next three years.  
Cuts And More Cuts But Still Cash For Arts In Highland - £30,000 For TapestriesThumbnail for article : Cuts And More Cuts But Still Cash For Arts In Highland - £30,000 For Tapestries
The Co-Chairs of the Inverness Castle Delivery Group, Fergus Ewing MSP and Cllr Ian Brown, are delighted to announce the award of £30,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in support of framing the 57 panels that will form the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.   This financial commitment from HIE has contributed significantly to the preservation of the 57 panels created by communities across the Highlands and Islands, of which 32 will be included in the first exhibition as part of the Inverness Castle Experience.  
6/3/2024
Council Employee Receives Special Recognition At The Scottish Empty Homes AwardsThumbnail for article : Council Employee Receives Special Recognition At The Scottish Empty Homes Awards
Dawn Meston from The Highland Council's Housing team won a prestigious award at the Scottish Empty Homes Awards held at The Studio, Glasgow on Thursday 29 February 2024 in recognition of her contribution to bringing empty homes back into use across Highland.   Between 1 April and 31 December 2023, a total of 25 empty properties were brought back into use following Dawn's intervention as Highland's Empty Homes Officer.  
5/3/2024
Highland Council Confirms Dates For Thermal Trial To Start In ThursoThumbnail for article : Highland Council Confirms Dates For Thermal Trial To Start In Thurso
The Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has confirmed details of a trial, to start next week, of a thermal process for carrying out pothole repairs.   An external contractor, Thermal Road Repairs, has been appointed to undertake the work using a thermal repair process.  
5/3/2024
So Where Are We With Major Road Repairs?Thumbnail for article : So Where Are We With Major Road Repairs?
Road conditions have been deteriorating for many years in Caithness and across all of Scotland.   Almost a year ago highland council approved a further £7.7 million.