Argyll and Bute Visitor Levy Consultation – Your Voice Matters

Argyll and Bute Council has launched its controversial consultation on introducing a five per cent Visitor Levy in the region. 

The formal consultation will run until 10 April 2025 and will give people and businesses the opportunity to have their say. The ASSC has provided guidance to respond the Visitor Levy consultations here.

Between now and then Argyll and Bute Council will provide regular updates via:

• The Argyll and Bute Council website
• Argyll and Bute Council will also be running a series of online seminars and face to face drop-in events for the public. Please keep an eye out on their website for further details about these soon.

The Visitor Levy

In May 2024, MSPs backed legislation giving local authorities a new power to introduce a visitor levy that would raise funding for local visitor facilities and services.

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2004 will enable local authorities to apply a levy on overnight stays with money raised to be reinvested in services and facilities largely used by tourists and business visitors.

“The introduction of a visitor levy in Scotland is a contentious issue, and for good reason. After grappling with the costs and red tape associated with short-term let regulations, small businesses now face the prospect of yet another administrative hurdle. This time, it’s a levy that threatens not just the financial stability of operators, but also the affordability of domestic tourism for Scots.”

Read more from Fiona here.

Fiona Campbell, ASSC Chief Executive