The council’s own report says this levy will cost Perth and Kinross more than it raises
Perth and Kinross Council wants to charge £4 a night, per room, on every overnight stay. Its own independent economic assessment shows what that would cost us. The consultation closes on 11 November.
The figures
In 60 seconds
The case, from the council’s own evidence
The council commissioned Glasgow Caledonian University’s Moffat Centre to assess the levy. The Moffat Centre is a respected tourism research body.
Its report finds that every rate it tested shrinks our visitor economy. At the £4 rate the council is proposing, the modelled loss to the local economy is about the same as, or larger than, the money the levy would bring in.
That loss falls on hotels, B&Bs, campsites and holiday lets. It also falls on the cafés, shops, pubs, distilleries and attractions that depend on overnight visitors.
The council’s figures also assume no exemptions, even though the scheme exempts local residents. They assume that every visitor night is a separately charged room. Both assumptions make the revenue look bigger than it is likely to be.
Councils across Scotland have looked at the evidence and stepped back: Highland, Argyll & Bute, Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire. Perth and Kinross should do the same.
What you can do
Respond to the consultation by 11 November
It takes about 10 minutes.
Go to the consultation →Write to your councillors
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