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Edinburgh ready to impose tourist tax and here's how tourism would be affected

11:21 PM | 2 Jun, 2023
Edinburgh ready to impose tourist tax and here's how tourism would be affected

EDINBURGH - The capital city of Scotland,  Edinburgh is poised to become the first council in the UK to implement a tourist tax, following in the footsteps of other tourist destinations across the world.

The Scottish Government recently introduced the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, outlining the framework for councils to levy such a tax aimed at generating additional revenue to address the city's growing expenses.

The Edinburgh City Council has advocated for the authority to impose a levy on visitors for years to cater to maintaining cleanliness, emptying litter bins, preserving the city's attractiveness, ensuring efficient transportation links, and maintaining the infrastructure, etc.

The Scottish Government has now introduced legislation at Holyrood, allowing councils to impose a visitor levy on overnight accommodations within their jurisdictions if they choose to do so. 

If passed by the members of the parliament, it will give councils the ability to add a tax to overnight accommodation but they will have to first consult multiple stakeholders.

The Edinburgh City Council has expressed its intention to implement such a levy and has initially agreed upon a charge of £2 per person per night, capped at seven nights. Though the final model is yet to be decided, the estimated revenue from this levy ranged from £5 million to £35 million per year.

Despite calls for imposing the tax, the plans will need to be reconsidered as the Scottish Government legislation stipulates that the levy must be a percentage of the overnight accommodation bill rather than a fixed-rate charge; the tax is expected to be imposed from 2026.

Meanwhile, Council leader Cammy Day welcomed this change and stressed that it is fairer for individuals staying in five-star hotels and guests at bed-and-breakfast establishments to pay the same percentage rather than the same amount. Day believes that fixing the rate between two and four percent seems reasonable.

The tourist tax will be applicable to various types of accommodations, including hotels, hostels, guest houses, bed and breakfast establishments, self-catering accommodations, campsites, and caravan parks but gypsy and traveler sites would be exempted.

The government has also clarified that cabins on ferries, sleeper trains, or the rental of campervans will typically not be subject to the levy. Nonetheless, overnight parking of a campervan at a campsite or the mooring of a boat overnight at a boat mooring would be subject to the tax.

The details imply that the accommodation providers will be responsible for collecting the levy from visitors and remitting it to the council regularly but before implementing the tax officially, local authorities would be required to engage in consultations regarding the allocation of the levy's proceeds.

The tourism tax is being imposed across the world in multiple cities. Recently, Manchester became the first UK city to impose a tourist tax and everyone who stays in a city centre hotel or holiday apartment has to pay £1 per night, per room.

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Today's currency exchange rates in Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal rates on October 1, 2023

KARACHI - Following are the foreign currency exchange rates for US Dollar, Saudi Riyal, UK Pound Sterling, U.A.E. Dirham, European Euro, and other foreign currencies in Pakistan open market on October 1, 2023 (Sunday).

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 286.05 289.15
Euro EUR  307 310
UK Pound Sterling GBP 353.3 357
U.A.E Dirham AED 80 80.8
Saudi Riyal SAR 76 76.75
Australian Dollar AUD 189 191
Bahrain Dinar BHD 778.84 786.84
Canadian Dollar CAD 220 222.2
China Yuan CNY 40.24 40.64
Danish Krone DKK 41.83 42.23
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 37.93 38.28
Indian Rupee INR 3.57 3.68
Japanese Yen JPY 1.63 1.71
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 945.27 954.27
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 62.62 63.22
New Zealand Dollar NZD 174.58 176.58
Norwegians Krone NOK 27.87 28.17
Omani Riyal OMR 762.31 770.31
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 80.69 81.39
Singapore Dollar SGD 208 210
Swedish Korona SEK 26.62 26.92
Swiss Franc CHF 323.01 325.51
Thai Bhat THB 8.12 8.27

Gold Rate in Pakistan Today – October 1, 2023

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

KARACHI - The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 202,800 on Sunday.

The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs 173,870.

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs168,730 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs196,807.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

Today Gold Price in Pakistan - 1 October 2023

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Karachi PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Islamabad PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Peshawar PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Quetta PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Sialkot PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Attock PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Gujranwala PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Jehlum PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Multan PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Bahawalpur PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Gujrat PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Nawabshah PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Chakwal PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Hyderabad PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Nowshehra PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Sargodha PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Faisalabad PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420
Mirpur PKR 202,800 PKR 2,420

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