Have Your Say: How Should Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy Revenue Be Spent?

With Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy just weeks away from going live, Angus Robertson MSP is asking residents for their views on how the revenue should be spent. For the self-catering sector, this is an important chance to make your voice heard.

Context: Angus Robertson’s Appeal to Residents

Angus Robertson has pledged to take up the responses received with City of Edinburgh Council. This plea was posted on his X/Twitter account and YouTube channel where you can view his call for views in full.

He has not set a deadline for submissions but any comments should be directed to his parliamentary email address: Angus.Robertson.msp@parliament.scot

Why You Should Respond

• With just over a month until Edinburgh’s Visitor Levy goes live, there are a number of outstanding industry concerns that still have to be addressed.

• While many within the sector have consistently opposed its introduction, this is happening and the ASSC and others are working hard to ensure the negative consequences are minimised as much as possible.

• This is a chance for ASSC members living within the Edinburgh Central constituency, or those operating a business in the area, to set out their concerns about the Levy, including on where any monies raised will be spent.

• Edinburgh Council have proposed that only 10% of the levy will be allocated to ‘destination management’ which is clearly insufficient.

• Any revenue raised by the Council must be reinvested in alignment with the framework legislation (the Visitor Levy Act) – that is, for infrastructure and services that benefit visitors directly. This is not a general revenue tool – it is a tourism reinvestment mechanism.

• It should be considered additional revenue, ringfenced for reinvesting in tourism priorities, not as a revenue raiser for existing Council services or obligations. That does not appear to be the case with Edinburgh Council’s plans which is why Angus Robertson should take these points on board and ensure that Edinburgh Council sticks to the underlying purpose of his government’s legislation.

• Angus Robertson has previously stated that “prudent choices on spending the resource is critical”. We agree.

Have Your Say on Visitor Levies in Your Area

If there is a Visitor Levy planned in your area, you may wish to do the same – get in touch with your local representatives and tell them what you would like to see the Visitor Levy spent on.

You can find the contact details of your local representatives below.

Find Your Local Representative

Thank you for taking the time to engage on this important issue – your input really matters.