Welsh visitor levy bill passes third reading in Senedd

The planned introduction of a visitor levy in Wales has moved another step closer to reality.

This week the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill, which would give local authorities the power to introduce a levy, passed its third stage at the Senedd. It is likely to complete its passage through the Welsh Parliament later this month though will not be introduced until 2027 at the earliest.

People aged 18 and above would be charged 75p a night on campsite pitches and in hostel accommodation, while the rate for other accommodation for all ages is £1.30 per person per night.

The Senedd debate on 1 July can be watched here. Sam Rowland MS proposed a series of amendments to the levy including that camping pitches and mobile homes, such as “static caravans”, should be “subject to the lower rate of the levy”. He pointed out that “this type of accommodation may typically be used more by families, especially those at the lower end of the prosperity scale”. Mark Drakeford, Cabinet Secretary for the Welsh Government rejected the amendments and said “it would be inconsistent with our policy rationale for the lower rate. We have a lower rate not because of families but because the lower rate reflects the fact that some accommodation has an element of sharing with other people. It applies to areas for camping or stays in accommodation where shared accommodation is part of the deal, and therefore we apply a lower rate to it.”

The NCC has been actively engaged on the issue with colleagues across the sector to highlight the challenges and impact such a tax would have on tourism together with the administrative burden it would place on accommodation providers.

There's also more information about the bill here.