County council leaders won't back 'tourism tax' for Wrexham

CONTROVERSIAL LEVY 'COULD MEAN THEY CHOOSE TO VISIT SOMEWHERE ELSE... WE WANT TO WELCOME THEM'

- By ALEC DOYLE Local Democracy Reporter [e-mail]

THE new Wales Visitor Levy is not welcome in Wrexham, according to the council's lead member for tourism.

In neighbouring Flintshire, however, councillors plan to consult further with local businesses before taking a view.

The levy, due to be introduced in April 2027, would allow councils to add a 'tourism tax' of £1.30 plus VAT per person, per night for anyone staying in hotels, bed and breakfasts, AirBnBs and holiday parks and 75p per night for those staying on campsites or in hostels.

If adopted by a local authority, the levy will apply to all overnight stays, whether foreign tourists or domestic Welsh visitors.

Welsh Government will give individual local authorities the right to choose whether to introduce it or not.

Its justification for the levy is that, if applied across Wales, it could generate £33m to help communities respond to the costs associated with tourism, support the Welsh language and improve toilets, footpaths, beaches, and visitor centres.

However there are no conditions on how councils can use the revenue raised.

A research paper exploring attitudes towards the Welsh visitor levy took views from 2,558 people across the UK, with 1,005 living in Wales and 311 living in Welsh tourism hotspots. Just 482 Welsh respondents supported the idea of the levy, with 155 of those in key Welsh tourism destinations.