Wales is introducing a tourist tax: date, cost and everything you need to know

Time Out

15-07-2025

Think Wales is all misty hills, choirs and cwtches? Think again. In 2027, the nation getting something decisively less cuddly: a tourist tax. Bad news for visiting Gavin & Stacey fans, perhaps, but better news for locals.
The idea is to make tourism more sustainable, ease the strain on local services, and help preserve the Welsh language. It's all part of a long-brewing plan to ensure tourists give a little something back to the areas they Instagram to oblivion.
To be clear: this isn't a crackdown on holidaymakers. Wales's incoming scheme is a modest levy, not unlike the ones already existing in Barcelona or Paris. Here's everything you need to know about it.
When will Wales introduce a tourist tax?
Last week, the Senedd (AKA the Welsh Parliament) passed a law letting local councils bring in a visitor levy. It won't kick in til 2027, though, leaving plenty of time to go to Wales without the surcharge.
Plus, it won't be applied everywhere automatically. Each regional council will decide for itself whether to adopt it.
How much will the tourist tax cost?
From 2027, you can expect to pay a very reasonable £1.30 per person per night if you're staying in a Welsh hotel, B&B, Airbnb or similar. Hostels and campsites are even cheaper, setting you back £0.75 per adult per night, and anyone under 18 is exempt. Yep, kids go free.
You also won't pay the fee if you're lodging with family, staying in their main home, or booking a place for more than 31 consecutive nights.
What's the money going towards?
All sorts. The Welsh government plans to use the tourist tax money (estimated at a whopping £33 million a year) to fund events, improve local infrastructure and, crucially, to protect and promote the Welsh language.
This is because only 27.8 percent of people in Wales speak Welsh – the lowest figure in eight years. The hope, then, is that this extra cash can help turn that around, funding things like language classes, cultural events and proper bilingual signage. It's all part of Cymraeg 2050 - the government's big ambitious plan to hit a million speakers by the middle of the century. The Duolingo owl is on standby.
Will the tax affect all of Wales?
Not necessarily. Each council will decide whether to introduce the tax in its area, so you might be charged in some parts of the country and not others. If you're planning a trip post-2027, it's worth checking in advance.
Is anywhere else in the UK doing this?
Well, yes. Some already have in fact. Scotland's ahead of the game, as ever, with Edinburgh introducing a 5 percent tourist tax in 2026, with Glasgow following in 2027.
In England, it's a bit trickier. Councils don't currently have the legal powers to introduce a tourist tax without new legislation from central government – and Downing Street has a lot on at the mo. But cities like Manchester and Liverpool have found a crafty workaround. Using something called a Business Improvement District (or BID), they've introduced local hotel charges funded by businesses themselves. Blackpool, Great Yarmouth and Bournemouth are looking at similar schemes.