Photo: Mayor David Skaith talking to businesses at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate about his plans for a Visitor Levy in York and North Yorkshire
Over the past month, the Mayor has met with more than 100 hospitality and tourism business owners across the region, taking him to Skipton, Harrogate, Scarborough, and York.
During the meetings he spoke of the York and North Yorkshire Policy Lab research into the rewards and risks of the Mayoral Overnight Visitor Levy, which initially revealed the levy could generate up to £52 million a year based on a £2 per person, per night charge.
The research will explore the opportunities and challenges of introducing a levy in the region, investigating how it could be implemented with either percentage or flat rates and whether there should be exceptions, including residents for example.
The Government is due to close its national consultation on the visitor levy tomorrow. If the levy, following the national consultation, gets the green light Mayor David Skaith will then hold a region-wide consultation before any levy is introduced.
He said: “York and North Yorkshire is beautiful, with something for everyone. That’s why millions of people come spend time here every year, it’s a success story for our region, with over 54,000 jobs, but it also adds a lot of pressure to local services.
“I’m focussed on the people who live and work here and who feel the impact of millions of visitors. I’ll make sure that we prioritise the places and public services that feel the most pressure, without costing residents an extra penny.
“A visitor levy could be a total game changer for our region, it’s an opportunity to drive investment into our communities, and back businesses in our tourism and hospitality sectors with the support we all know we need, but nobody has the money for right now. We must get this right for our region and that’s what I’m focussed on as we go through this process.”
Mayor David Skaith will continue to meet with the region’s tourism and hospitality groups as he develops plans for an overnight visitor levy over the coming months.
