Wales is introducing a tourist tax: date, cost and everything you need to know
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
UK's poshest train with seaside views and £11k cabins suffers major blow
A luxury train journey vowing to 'showcase the very best of modern England and Wales' has hit a major snag following a last-minute cancellation, despite passengers forking out thousands on a ticket The country's most luxurious new train which idles past rolling countryside and golden beaches has hit a major snag - for the second time this month. There's no denying the UK's railways are in dire need of significant reform. Riddled with hefty delays and last-minute cancellations - most Brits have endured the commute from hell thanks to unreliable trains and overcrowded carriages. When you're forking out a staggering £11,000 for a double cabin, you would expect a much better, more efficient, service. However, the acclaimed Belmond has axed its inaugural run of its newest fleet, the Britannic Explorer, once again. Featuring an onboard spa, a world-class menu curated by a Michelin-star chef, and sleek rooms that look like they belong in a five-star hotel - the Britannic Explorer is the epitome of elegance. Earlier this year, the sleeper train unveiled it will be taking passengers on an incredible three-night journey to Wales via the west of England and the iconic Cotswolds. Not only do guests get to marvel at stunning stretches of coastline, lush mountain ranges and unspoilt countryside - they can also partake in excursions such as hikes in the Welsh national parks, clay pigeon shooting and a trip to a luxury boozer. The unique experience, does however come with an insane price tag - with a double cabin costing £11,000. "Highlights on the Wales route include a picnic-style lunch featuring delights like rarebit and leek tart," the company said. "Each dining experience onboard will reflect the landscape outside the train's windows, using the freshest local ingredients to create an immersive culinary journey that celebrates the diverse flavours and stories of England and Wales." The boujee train was due to depart from London Victoria at 3.45pm on Monday, July 21 - but passengers were informed the night before that the journey had been suddenly cancelled. This follows a similar decision to cancel a three-night trip to Cornwall earlier this month (July 4). Speaking to the Mirror, a Belmond spokesperson said the 'difficult decision' to postpone the inaugural journey of the Britannic Explorer was not 'taken lightly'. "During the routine pre-trip protocol checks over the weekend, we encountered unforeseen technical issues related to the door mechanism," they said. "Despite the dedicated efforts of our engineering team, the issue could not be resolved in time, and as a result, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the trip. As always, guest welfare and reliability of our train operations remain paramount." Belmond confirmed that that every affected guest was offered a full refund, along with a complimentary future journey aboard the Britannic Explorer in 2025 or 2026. "In addition, we are covering any related expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation," the spokesperson added. "Our team worked closely with each guest to arrange immediate alternative accommodation where needed."
Powys County Times
21 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Builth Wells Golf Club captain supports Wales Air Ambulance
A grandmother of ten has chosen Wales Air Ambulance as her charity of the year in her role as Lady Captain at Builth Wells Golf Club. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Cathy Yates, 69, has played hockey and canoeed, but discovered her passion for golf 30 years ago. She now plays regularly and recently co-organised a fundraising golf day with Shane Claridge, the club's men's captain. Mrs Yates said: "Many of my friends and family have needed the help of the air ambulance over the years. "My husband was riding his motorcycle a long time ago when he was hit off his bike. "I also used to be a paraglider pilot and some of my friends had accidents in remote locations." Mrs Yates said her professional background and personal interests make this charity even more meaningful. She said: "I've got a real interest in helicopters; I've got a degree in aeronautical engineering and love aircrafts. "As you can imagine, the work of the Wales Air Ambulance really strikes a chord with me and it's something I am keen to support. "I've always done the monthly lottery but having this opportunity as lady captain will enable me to spend the next few months rallying even more support for the cause." Wales Air Ambulance relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million it needs each year to operate its fleet of helicopters and response vehicles. The service is designed to bring 'hospital-standard' treatments directly to patients, wherever they are in Wales. Mrs Yates is now looking forward to visiting the air ambulance base in Welshpool during her time as Lady Captain. She said: "It's going to be wonderful to get up close to the helicopter and look inside it. "I cannot wait to meet the team." Originally from Oxfordshire, Mrs Yates moved to Powys seven years ago and is now learning Welsh. She said: "We live in such a beautiful part of Wales; it is very rural and learning the language is really important to me." A former teacher and self-described adventurer, she and her husband Graham travelled across Europe for five years after retiring and spend summers in South Africa. Between them, they have six children and ten grandchildren. She said: "We love keeping active. "And between our family and hobbies there is never a dull moment." Mrs Yates is now looking forward to bringing people together through a full calendar of charity events. She said: "Our golf day was just the start. "It was a fabulous way to kick off our year of fundraisi ng. "We managed to raise £250." Planned events include quiz nights, bingo, and a special night golf evening in October. She said: "We've got a great support network at the club enabling us to do this for Wales Air Ambulance. "People travel miles to come and play at our club because of the amazing course and sweeping views across Builth. "It's quite breathtaking." Kate Thomas, regional fundraising manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said said: "We'd like to extend our congratulations to Cathy and Shane on their captaincies. "We are hugely grateful to them both for nominating us as their charity of the year. "Our fundraisers are at the heart of everything we do. "They enable our teams to be able to attend patients wherever and whenever they need us.
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- South Wales Argus
Meet Ben - South Wales contestant on BBC's new Destination X
Destination X will be hosted by Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon, and is described as a mix between The Traitors and Race Across the World. The new series will see contestants travel around Europe on a bus with blacked-out windows, trying to work out where in the world they are. At the end of each episode, the contestants will guess where they think they are, placing an X on a map. Whoever puts their X furthest away from the location is immediately thrown off the X-bus and eliminated from the competition. The last person standing will walk away with a cash prize of £10,000. Meet Ben - the South Wales contestant taking part in Destination X One of the 13 contestants taking part in series one of Destination X is 42-year-old Surf School Director, Ben, who hails from South Wales. Ben has "20 years' experience of doing some crazy activities" including the likes of surfing and cliff jumping. He is now looking to take part in Destination X to show his boys "that Dad's still got it". When asked why he thought he was selected by the BBC for the show, Ben said: "I have experience and am fairly capable in outdoor activities. "Being a surfer, you're used to dealing with lots of situations very quickly. A lot of my friends define me as affable. I get on with people quite well. "I've just spent a few weeks in a caravan with my family so can handle confined spaces." The 42-year-old has maintained a level of fitness, ready for the show, and mentally has been treating it "as if I was going to prison". Top 10 best British TV series Ben explained: "I'll be cut off from everybody and have got to deal with new people and environments that might be testing and challenging. "It'd be nicer to think I'm going to space as an astronaut." He said the thought of being away from his family, with no contact, for so long was making him anxious. "That's one of the things I might struggle with. The longest I've spent away from my kids in 10 years is five days, and in that time, I still spoke to them," Ben added. "But I'm looking forward to not having to check my phone and to having real conversations with people." His plan to win Destination X and take home the £100k is to "not think too hard about it". Ben explained: "Sometimes I will overthink things to a point that I come up with the wrong answer. "So I want to be myself, have fun with it and try to lead with my gut." If he wins, Ben said he would put the £100k towards helping his local community. He said: "My whole life I've put people first, above money. "But there is that conundrum that the communities I support are constantly looking for funding so it would help. "There's a number of accessible bits of equipment I'd like to design and build, and that money would give me freedom to be able to make that happen." Rob Brydon says "I'd be hopeless" on Destination X Rob Brydon also opened up about his time on Destination X, revealing why he wanted to be a part of the show and how he would have fared on the BBC series. The Gavin & Stacey star said: "I've never done a TV show on this scale before. I loved the idea of it, the combination of having to work out clues as to where you are and having to get on with each other. "It struck me as the best bits of The Traitors with the best bits of Race Across the World. "The other thing that attracted me was the scale of it and being a part of a show as ambitious as this, with as huge a crew and as huge a team. "I knew it would be a real challenge to see if I could steer that ship." Rob Brydon said he was surprised at how invested he became in the show. (Image: BBC/TwoFour) Brydon said he was surprised at how invested he became during the series. He explained: "It didn't take long at all to get really fully invested in it. "You get involved with the contestants and you feel for them when they are struggling, and you celebrate with them when they do well. "It was a far more involving experience than I was expecting." When asked about how he would fare on Destination X, Brydon commented: "I think I would be hopeless at the game, I would not have a clue and would be cruelly exposed as being not too bright at all!" Destination X contestants travel on a bus with blacked-out windows. (Image: BBC/TwoFour) He continued: "I would have struggled hugely with that (being on the bus for 30 days) as well, particularly the lack of sleep. "They have nice bunks but nonetheless you're sleeping on a bus. You lose your privacy; I would have found that very difficult indeed." RECOMMENDED READING: When to watch Destination X Destination X begins on Wednesday, July 30 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. There will be two new episodes every week, airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
