Glasgow City Council consider tourist levy to generate additional income

Glasgow City Council is considering the introduction of a tourist tax to open an additional source of income for services.

This comes after the visitor levy was brought in by Edinburgh politicians last month and is expected to raise £50 million for services.

A council spokesperson said they were looking at a number of service reform projects which includes establishing a project team that will be expected to examine the business case for new and emerging income-generation powers, including a transient visitor levy.

From 2026 a five percent tourist fee will be added to the cost of overnight accommodation in the capital such as hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets.

A number of European cities already have them in place including parts of Spain, Germany and Italy and they are considered successful.

Manchester introduced a City Visitor Charge in 2023, implementing a £1 per room per night fee, and it is estimated to have generated £2.8 million in its first year.

There are arguments against the move that Scotland is already an uncooperative destination, fearing this will further drive down visitor numbers which businesses are reliant on.