LONDON – The ceremonial county in South West England, Dorset is gearing up to implement the nation’s first coastal ‘tourist tax’.
The decision comes on the heels of a decisive vote by local hoteliers and plans are underway to establish an accommodation business improvement district (ABID) including Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP), enabling the collection of a levy from hotels.
As part of the plan, approximately 70 major hotels will face an additional £2 charge per room per night from 1st July this year. This levy is anticipated to generate a substantial £12 million over five years, set to strengthen the region’s tourism sector.
The funds generated through tourism will play an important role in sustaining a variety of large-scale events, including the renowned Bournemouth Air Festival, as well as spearheading the creation of new attractions, launching extensive marketing campaigns, supporting job growth, and securing placemaking initiatives.
It is to be highlighted that tourist taxes are becoming popular across the world due to over-tourism and to protect the environment when the social distancing protocols have been lifted.
Countries like Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Amsterdam, Greece, Italy, and Germany amongst others have introduced similar types of taxes to keep tourism sustainable and environment friendly.
