Overview
- Following Wednesday's King's Speech, the Overnight Visitor Levy Bill would let English regional mayors add a small fee to overnight stays to fund local services.
- Reports put the likely charge at about £2 per person per night.
- A Housing and Communities spokesperson said the final design of the visitor levy has not been decided.
- Industry modelling from Oxford Economics and the CBI projects £1.6 billion in extra costs for visitors and up to 33,000 job losses with lower GDP and tourism spending.
- Reactions split, with London and Liverpool mayors backing local reinvestment, while Butlin's boss and Labour MPs for Blackpool South and Weston-super-Mare warn the fee would deter bookings and hit low-cost breaks such as a £49 four-night stay that could face £32 in added charges.