Tourist tax collection concerns

A PROPOSED £2 tourist tax will be "difficult to collect" from holiday let owners, residents on the Northumberland Coast fear.

- DANIEL HALL

Over tourism in villages such as Bamburgh, Seahouses and Beadnell has caused them to become saturated with holiday lets and essential services to suffer.

The Government announced in November that North East mayor Kim McGuinness would be among the local leaders being handed the power to introduce a new levy on overnight stays.

The charge would apply to tourists booking hotels, holiday lets, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses across the region.

Ms McGuinness told The Journal in December that her office is currently drawing up plans based on a £2 a night tourist tax, saying this would generate around £20m per year.

The funds have been earmarked to support the region's tourism industry through events and festivals.

Jen Hall, who lives in Beadnell, has spent years lobbying MPs and Government on holiday let regulation, and was involved in creating Northumberland's neighbourhood plan, which was adopted in 2022.

Holiday lets are not regulated in the same way as hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts.