Glasgow could pay a high price for its new tourist tax

In these divided times, seeing multi-party agreement is uplifting. The setting: Glasgow city administration committee on Thursday 19 June. SNP, Labour, Conservatives and Greens joined in voting in favour of the city’s visitor levy.

- SIMON CALDER

From January 2027, people staying in hotels and all other commercial accommodation in Glasgow will pay 5 per cent on top of the bill. Each year, tourists and business travellers will provide £16m for the council to spend on civic improvements and promoting Glasgow.

Edinburgh has already decided to charge overnight guests 5 per cent on top of the room rate, starting in July next year. Good to see the two big Scottish cities agreeing on something, too.

Back in Glasgow, Ricky Bell of the SNP said there was "no evidence to suggest that the introduction of a levy would be detrimental to the city".

Free money, then. And (almost) nobody who lives and votes in Glasgow will pay it. What's not to like? A load of locations across Europe and the wider world already have similar tourist taxes.

Paris and Rome hardly seem short of tourists, so Mr Bell is surely right: a levy will not deter visitors.