TOURIST TAX IMPLEMENTATION STARTS IN LIVERPOOL
Liverpool will charge a "tourist tax" to overnight visitors starting in June 2025. The implementation is expected to generate £9.2 million in two years and strengthen the city's tourism infrastructure.
Visitors staying in hotels in Liverpool, England, will pay a "tourist tax" of £2 per night starting in June. The decision was made as a result of a vote by the Accommodation BID (Business Improvement District), which represents 83 hotels in the city. 59% of the hotels that participated in the voting supported the implementation.
According to Accommodation BID, this application will generate approximately £9.2 million in revenue over two years, and £6.7 million of this revenue will be used to support the city's visitor economy. The revenue will be collected by hotel and serviced apartment providers; guests are expected to pay upon check-in or check-out.
Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, stated that the fee to be charged has the potential to attract larger events to the city, saying, "This model, as in its European examples, can convert overnight stays into direct investments. It was important for sector representatives to be involved in the process, and they made this decision."
Accommodation BID Chairman Marcus Magee, on the other hand, evaluated the voting as "an important step" in terms of the accommodation sector's participation in the decision-making process on the visitor economy.
The first city in England to implement a tourist tax was Manchester, which launched this practice in 2023. The £1 per night fee in Manchester generated approximately £2.8 million in revenue in its first year.
Visitors speaking to the BBC stated that they found the new application in Liverpool reasonable. Brazilian tourist Joao Pedro Benedetti said, "This fee is not high, it is a fair practice," while Tash and Jack from Newcastle commented, "This kind of fee is now applied in many cities, we find it normal."
Italian visitor Maria Fantin said, "Most things are free here, even entrance to museums or art galleries. Therefore, such a contribution is reasonable."
Source: BBC
