London could be the next major city to impose a tourist tax on overnight visitors, with the city’s mayor saying he is in favour of such a move.
If imposed, the English capital would follow in the footsteps of the likes of Cologne, Amsterdam, Naples, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Prague and Venice in introducing a tourist levy. Similar schemes – seen as a vital infrastructure funding mechanism by some and a potential deterrent to tourism growth by others – have been planned in parts of Scotland and Wales.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently said he would support the introduction of a tourist visitor tax to fund city improvements, saying tourists are already used to paying extra to holiday elsewhere.
Already, experts have suggested even a 5% tourist tax could generate around €285m per year for London.
