NC500 visitor levy ‘will affect everyone, not just tourists’ say Ullapool locals
Letter to the Editor
This letter is to point out issues regarding the proposed visitor levy in the Highlands.
It really has implications for us all, everyone pays it and you’ll pay it too. For example, if you need to stay over in Inverness for an early hospital or dental appointment, you will have to pay the visitor levy charge.
Those travelling for work — plumbers, electricians, builders, utility providers, carers etc — will have to pay it too. Some councils are objecting to the tax to support their communities, which will leave some areas exempt and therefore more attractive to visit, such as Dumfries and Galloway. The only exemptions to paying this tax will be campervans who wild camp, therefore encouraging more people to park overnight in inappropriate places like laybys.
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The levy will undoubtedly lead to business closures and redundancies, and the administrative burden on small businesses will be immense. The ripple effect of closures and contraction of the numbers of accommodation operators will in-turn affect other businesses that rely on the visitor economy. Frankly, our communities will suffer.
As the interpretation of the provisions of the Act by local authorities has developed, and further information released, businesses are significantly concerned about the extra costs associated with administering the scheme. Local business owners have told us that the proposed excel spreadsheet visitor levy return, currently being circulated by some councils, is both overwhelming in volume and over-reaching in scope.
Businesses across the Highlands and Islands have been clear that the levy will impact the number of nights, or indeed, whether guests choose to stay in their accommodation at all. As a result, revenue will be dramatically reduced and the tourist season shortened. As the Highlands is a seasonal destination we cannot and must not be compared to Edinburgh who have year round visitors and seek to reduce numbers, especially during the Fringe Festival.
Yours sincerely,
Concerned Ullapool micro-business owners AKA stressed landladies,
Kathleen MacKay and Mo Renwick
