Read a reactive statement from our Chair, Dee Corsi, below:

“If properly managed, a proportionate and affordable overnight visitor levy could provide funds to invest in our high streets, create jobs and improve tourism infrastructure. But businesses need a seat at the table, to shape the policy and avoid unintended consequences.

“The introduction of a new overnight levy is a particular concern in cities like Liverpool, which already operate an Accommodation BID – a levy style scheme, where funds are directly managed by businesses and reinvested directly into the visitor economy. Moving to a new overnight levy scheme would overburden a sector still working hard to recover.

“Tourism is a valuable driver of growth, powered by retail, hospitality, leisure and cultural venues across the country. If the levy has any hope of being successful, the Government should involve the experts – the businesses who make the UK the globally renowned destination it is. Every pound raised through a new levy must be visibly reinvested into the visitor experience, tied to a wider visitor economy strategy, and shaped by business.”

“The introduction of a new overnight levy is a particular concern in cities like Liverpool, which already operate an Accommodation BID – a levy style scheme, where funds are directly managed by businesses and reinvested directly into the visitor economy. Moving to a new overnight levy scheme would overburden a sector still working hard to recover”.