That’s right – Liverpool hotels and holiday accommodations are set to welcome a new tourist tax, charging travellers £2 for overnight stays. The new rule is being implemented after the city’s hotels and serviced apartments, like AirBnB’s, voted in favour of the overnight charge to help raise more money for the hospitality industry.
Accommodation BID (ABID) represents 83 Liverpool hotels, which put forward an alteration ballot, with 53% voting in favour of the tourist tax. After the new charge is introduced in June, businesses will need to submit clear plans on where the additional funds will be used to the Government.
According to the ABID, a £2 city visitor charge is set to bring in £9.2m in the next two years, and £6.7m would be allocated to the city’s visitor economy via a subvention fund.
Manchester and Edinburgh already have a tourist tax in place – Manchester’s charge is £1 per night, while Edinburgh Council has introduced a 5% visitor charge per person for the first five nights.
How will visitors pay the “tourist tax” and where will the money go?
The local hotels and holiday accommodations will directly handle the tourist tax in Liverpool, starting in June 2025. Guests can choose to pay either at check-in, or during check-out.
An ABID press release said regarding the use of the money: “The proposal would see the charge, which would be administered by hotels, going directly into the visitor economy and helping to support its growth and development, helping to create a circular and sustainable visitor economy, relieving pressure on the public purse.
“It would support business conferences and destination marketing and make a significant impact in bringing major events to the city that generate overnight stays, alongside other BID services including improving the public realm and targeted marketing campaigns. “
The overall feedback among hoteliers across the city has been positive, welcoming the new visitor charge.