Tourists could be charged a tourist tax to holiday in Wales from as early as 2027 under plans from the Welsh Government.
Under the proposed plans, it would be up to individual councils to decide whether to implement a tax.
Councils would be allowed to choose how they spent the funds and its likely money could be used for essential services or sustainability projects.
The Welsh Government’s aim is to “foster a sense of shared responsibility between residents and visitors, to protect, and invest in, local areas”.
The plan is fiercely opposed by the Welsh Conservatives who have said it is a “toxic tourist tax”.
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Daytrippers wouldn’t be charged under the tax. It is hoped the tax would help to “preserve the beauty of Wales for future generations”.
The Welsh Government has argued the tax will only equate to a “small amount of a visitor’s overall spend”.
Manchester became the first English city to charge a tourist tax earlier this year, with overnight visitors charged a small fee.
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While tourist taxes aren’t common in the UK, many European countries have a form of tax for visitors.
Barcelona and Paris are just two of the major tourist destinations to charge an overnight tax. Tourists pay a tax in many areas of Spain, including on the Balearic islands.
Cruise tourists also usually pay a tax if their ship docks overnight in a city and this is included in the cruise fare in most cases.
Amsterdam is set to introduce Europe’s highest tourist tax in 2024 as the city struggles to cope with overtourism.
It is hoped the high fee would help to combat overtourism and raise additional funds for the Dutch city.
While Amsterdam is set to break records in Europe, there’s a little visited country that has the world’s highest tourist tax.
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