Latest news with #AccommodationBusinessImprovementDistrict
Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars
Plus, the lesser-known UK cities that Brits should visit over big name tourist destinations like Lisbon and Cardiff NOTT BAD My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) When it comes to the latest UK cities considering a tourist tax for overnight visitors, London and Liverpool seem likely locations to add to the list. Nottingham? Not so much. While the capital reckons it could raise more than £240m a year and Liverpool benefits from Beatles mania, the Midlands city where I spent my teenage years wandering round New Look and Top Shop isn't top of most tourists' to-do lists. 4 Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse and her son explore the hidden network of caves beneath Nottingham, which have been in use since Roman times Credit: Catherine Lofthouse 4 Inside Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem - England's oldest inn, can be found at the foot of Nottingham castle Credit: Alamy The main overnight guests who head to Nottingham appear to be hordes of hen dos and lads on tour - it's the Midlands' answer to top stag destination, Amsterdam. Much as I love the city of my youth, charging overnight visitors £2 per room per night seems a bit cheeky, when tourist hotspots like Mogan in Gran Canaria are setting their rates at €0.15 per person per day. The city council reckon bringing in a tourist charge could raise £1.7m a year, which could be invested in attractions to make Nottingham less about the night-time economy and more of a tourist destination during daylight. The City of Edinburgh Council is introducing a five per cent visitor levy for overnight guests in paid accommodation from July next year. Meanwhile Manchester adds £1 per room per night for stays within the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) zone. London is considering bringing in a levy to boost public coffers, while Liverpool is going ahead with its £2 per night charge from next month. Here in Nottingham, the city centre is undergoing a facelift with the demolition of the Broadmarsh shopping centre, so money raised from overnight stays could come in handy. There's actually lots of interesting sites in Nottingham if you know where to go. The whole city has a hidden network of caves beneath it, which have been in use since Roman times. My eldest son and I were fascinated by what we found when we bought tickets for the City of Caves and wandered the warren of walkways and tunnels underground last summer, past medieval tannery pits and air raid shelters. Robin Hood might have spent more time hiding out in nearby Sherwood Forest than in the city itself, but Nottingham still celebrates the legendary figure. A statue of the fabled outlaw stands proud near the castle, ready to take on the Sheriff of Nottingham. The fortunes of the castle itself have been somewhat chequered in recent years, after the trust that ran it went into liquidation in 2022, just 18 months after the site unveiled a £30 million revamp. 4 Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood at Nottingham Castle Credit: Alamy The castle, actually a 17th-century ducal palace refurbished in Victorian times after it was set ablaze by protesters, houses a museum and art gallery. Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood, including trying out a bow and arrow, before heading outside to the wooden fortress adventure play area. This year could be a great time to visit as up to three kids go free with each paying adult- and an adult ticket costs £15 and acts as an annual pass, meaning you can visit as many times as you like over the year. Nottingham City Museums Service has just launched a £30 'adult rover ticket' under the pay-once-visit-all-year scheme, that enables holders to visit Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey. Wollaton Hall's newest gallery Discovering Dinosaurs opened to visitors a month ago and features a 12m T-rex skeleton. The Elizabethan mansion, set in a deer park, also boasts an impressive collection of taxidermy, including a giraffe and other exotic animals. UK AND IRELAND'S UNSUNG CITIES - LESSER-KNOWN PLACES TO VISIT ON WEEKEND BREAKS Ben Aitken, the author of Sh**ty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, has spent a year exploring overlooked cities. He told Sun Travel reveals he'd rather go there than some of the classic bucket list destinations. Ben said: "The worst pizza I've ever had was in Venice, so I'd rather go to Wolverhampton. I'd also swap Edinburgh for Dunfermline - given that they're neighbours. "I'd say that Newport's better than Cardiff - that's going to get me into trouble, and Sunderland for me is the best city in the North East, so I'd swap that with Newcastle. "Limerick is a match for Dublin. I'm not going to say it's better, but it's half the price with half the crowds, and the Guinness is better there. "And let's give some love to Preston, I'd rather spend a weekend in Preston than in Lisbon." He added: "I'm not saying that Edinburgh is not fantastic, Venice isn't cool, and Paris isn't sexy. But other places are of value and of note and are interesting as well." At Newstead Abbey, to the north of Nottingham, visitors can find out about the life and times of Lord Byron, its most famous inhabitant, and enjoy the parkland around the historic house. Legend has it that sky-high taxes triggered Robin Hood's crusade to take from the rich to give to the poor, so it's ironic that visitors coming to enjoy his story in the city he made famous could soon be taxed for doing so. I'm not sure taking from the tourists to subsidise the city would win approval from Nottingham's most celebrated son.
The Sun
05-05-2025
- The Sun
My UK city is so popular with stag do's that locals want an anti-tourist tax – but there's so much more to it than bars
When it comes to the latest UK cities considering a tourist tax for overnight visitors, London and Liverpool seem likely locations to add to the list. Nottingham? Not so much. While the capital reckons it could raise more than £240m a year and Liverpool benefits from Beatles mania, the Midlands city where I spent my teenage years wandering round New Look and Top Shop isn't top of most tourists' to-do lists. 4 4 The main overnight guests who head to Nottingham appear to be hordes of hen dos and lads on tour - it's the Midlands' answer to top stag destination, Amsterdam. Much as I love the city of my youth, charging overnight visitors £2 per room per night seems a bit cheeky, when tourist hotspots like Mogan in Gran Canaria are setting their rates at €0.15 per person per day. The city council reckon bringing in a tourist charge could raise £1.7m a year, which could be invested in attractions to make Nottingham less about the night-time economy and more of a tourist destination during daylight. The City of Edinburgh Council is introducing a five per cent visitor levy for overnight guests in paid accommodation from July next year. Meanwhile Manchester adds £1 per room per night for stays within the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) zone. London is considering bringing in a levy to boost public coffers, while Liverpool is going ahead with its £2 per night charge from next month. Here in Nottingham, the city centre is undergoing a facelift with the demolition of the Broadmarsh shopping centre, so money raised from overnight stays could come in handy. There's actually lots of interesting sites in Nottingham if you know where to go. The whole city has a hidden network of caves beneath it, which have been in use since Roman times. My eldest son and I were fascinated by what we found when we bought tickets for the City of Caves and wandered the warren of walkways and tunnels underground last summer, past medieval tannery pits and air raid shelters. Robin Hood might have spent more time hiding out in nearby Sherwood Forest than in the city itself, but Nottingham still celebrates the legendary figure. A statue of the fabled outlaw stands proud near the castle, ready to take on the Sheriff of Nottingham. The fortunes of the castle itself have been somewhat chequered in recent years, after the trust that ran it went into liquidation in 2022, just 18 months after the site unveiled a £30 million revamp. 4 The castle, actually a 17th-century ducal palace refurbished in Victorian times after it was set ablaze by protesters, houses a museum and art gallery. Young visitors can enjoy immersive and interactive games that bring to life the legend of Robin Hood, including trying out a bow and arrow, before heading outside to the wooden fortress adventure play area. This year could be a great time to visit as up to three kids go free with each paying adult- and an adult ticket costs £15 and acts as an annual pass, meaning you can visit as many times as you like over the year. Nottingham City Museums Service has just launched a £30 'adult rover ticket' under the pay-once-visit-all-year scheme, that enables holders to visit Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall and Newstea d Abbey. Wollaton Hall's newest gallery Discovering Dinosaurs opened to visitors a month ago and features a 12m T-rex skeleton. The Elizabethan mansion, set in a deer park, also boasts an impressive collection of taxidermy, including a giraffe and other exotic animals. Ben Aitken, the author of Sh**ty Breaks: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, has spent a year exploring overlooked cities. He told Sun Travel reveals he'd rather go there than some of the classic bucket list destinations. Ben said: "The worst pizza I've ever had was in Venice, so I'd rather go to Wolverhampton. I'd also swap Edinburgh for Dunfermline - given that they're neighbours. "I'd say that Newport's better than Cardiff - that's going to get me into trouble, and Sunderland for me is the best city in the North East, so I'd swap that with Newcastle. "Limerick is a match for Dublin. I'm not going to say it's better, but it's half the price with half the crowds, and the Guinness is better there. "And let's give some love to Preston, I'd rather spend a weekend in Preston than in Lisbon." He added: "I'm not saying that Edinburgh is not fantastic, Venice isn't cool, and Paris isn't sexy. But other places are of value and of note and are interesting as well." At Newstead Abbey, to the north of Nottingham, visitors can find out about the life and times of Lord Byron, its most famous inhabitant, and enjoy the parkland around the historic house. Legend has it that sky-high taxes triggered Robin Hood's crusade to take from the rich to give to the poor, so it's ironic that visitors coming to enjoy his story in the city he made famous could soon be taxed for doing so. I'm not sure taking from the tourists to subsidise the city would win approval from Nottingham's most celebrated son. 4
ITV News
25-04-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Explainer: What is Liverpool's new Hotel Levy and how much will it cost?
Visitors to Liverpool will soon see a £2-a-night increase in the price of hotel rooms after a plan to introduce a 'hotel levy' in the city was approved by local businesses. The idea was put to a vote for 83 hotels in the city. Today the city's Business Improvement District confirmed the vote had passed. The change was supported by 26 votes to 18, with a turnout of 53% turnout. Laura Delaney of The Municipal Hotel and Spa says that guests will be well informed about the extra charge: "We'll have QR codes situated across the hotels, they can find out a wee bit more about what it is and why it is there, and they'll be presented with the bill at the end, it'll be added to their bill" Helen Roberts is the dual General Manager at Holliday Inn Express for Liverpool and Manchester, and she says it is a positive move which the city needs: 'There's a lot that the BID does already in terms of improving the public realm, security and major events, but Liverpool needs this to help it to thrive. "Liverpool isn't the biggest city but it does need to compete on an international stage. We have the same model in Manchester and there has been little or no reaction from guests. "The majority are used to it from their visits to European cities so there has been no negativity'. But what is it, and how will it work? What is a hotel levy? The levy idea is masterminded and managed by Liverpool's Accommodation Business Improvement District. The £2 City Visitor Charge is projected to bring in £9.2million over two years, of which £6.7 million will go towards supporting the city's visitor economy. The business improvement district model is the only one that allows for an overnight charge to be implemented in England. It allows for the raising of a levy, under government legislation, and requires a clear and transparent business plan for the proposed use of the funds. Those behind the charge say it'll also help to bring major events to the city. Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, said: 'This £2 a night levy will be to help turbo charge Liverpool's tourism and visitor economy, helping the city attract bigger events who bring people to the city. "We have always said that the industry should have their say on whether they want this levy to come in, as they are administering it. The evidence of other European cities suggests this model will translate overnight stays into major investment, so that we can convert that into world-leading and world-beating events.' How will it work? The £2 charge will be managed and administered by hotels and serviced accommodation, either when guests check in or at the end of their stay. It'll be payable by anybody checking in, regardless of where they're from. It'll only apply in city centre hotels which are part of Liverpool's Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID). The money generated will be administered by the Accommodation BID, a business improvement district governed by hotels and serviced apartment providers in the city, which is is overseen by an industry board. The Accommodation BID is managed by Liverpool BID Company, which includes two business improvement districts in the city centre and represents over 800 businesses in the city. When will it come into force? The charge will come into effect from June 1 2025 on hotels or serviced accommodation which are subject to the levy (those businesses with a rateable value of £45,000 or above). It comes after growing calls from Liverpool City Council for the city to introduce a full tourism tax, similar to charges being discussed in Scotland. Glaswegians are currently being consulted on plans, which would see tourists and other visitors pay an additional 5% on the price of overnight accommodation. Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet member for Culture and Visitor Economy, said: 'This a positive step and lays solid foundations in our endeavour to formalise the establishment of a sustainable Tourism Tax, akin to what is being looked at in Glasgow and has already been introduced in other major European cities, which would be used to further strengthen our tourism offer.'
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tourist tax could 'revitalise' London's struggling arts scene
Pressure is growing on the government to allow London to impose a tourist tax on overnight tank the Centre for London said the tax could help "revitalise" arts and culture in the capital, as its new report warned the city's creative industries were in "peril".Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan previously voiced support for such a charge, saying most tourists in Europe "don't really mind paying an extra few euros".The government has reiterated there were "currently no plans to introduce a tourism tax in England". The report, Arts for All, urged ministers to restore arts funding for local government to 2010 levels, as well as a number of other include a national Arts Pass for under-25s, and to allow the Greater London Authority (GLA) to "explore the implementation of a tourist tax".The government said that places can already choose to introduce a levy on overnight stays through the Accommodation Business Improvement District model. The Arts for All report was unveiled on Thursday at the Barbican arts centre, where according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the GLA said national legislation would be idea, that visitors pay a small percentage or set amount extra on their hotel bill, is already in place in cities including Barcelona and has gone further, by introducing a €5 charge for day-trippers to the city – part of their effort to combat cruise tourism. Rob Anderson, from the Centre for London, said art and culture was "at the heart of what it means" to be a said reductions in funding had made it harder for the capital's arts sector to provide "affordable, local and convenient offerings" and widen added: "We need to re-invest in our arts, to safeguard London's continued cultural success and ensure that more Londoners can benefit from the city's world-class offerings."The LDRS has contacted the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment on the Centre for London's report.
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Manchester tourists should pay 'proper' city tax, Mayor Andy Burnham says
Tourists visiting Manchester should pay a "proper" mandatory "tourist levy", Greater Manchester's mayor has said. Andy Burnham said he wanted to see the city centre's optional fee, the "city visitor charge", replaced by a compulsory staying in a city centre hotel is currently urged to pay £1-per-night to fund the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) organisation, which promotes Manchester as a destination, and cleans the streets around said it should be replaced by "a proper levy" and would not apply to existing Greater Manchester residents staying in any city region hotel. "I would like a scheme that's mainly about visitors to Greater Manchester," he told BBC Radio Manchester."People pay their council tax and they do not generally stay in hotels. I know it happens but largely it's about people coming into the city region.""I am putting the case to the government for a tourist levy because Edinburgh has brought one in," he said."I think Glasgow have voted to bring one in. Wales are looking at it as well."Edinburgh's local authority said its levy of 5% would take effect from 24 July 2026, and it hoped to raise £50m per year from argued that British people going abroad were compelled to pay a tourist tax when visiting some European countries, so others should pay to stay here. He added: "In an era where we are struggling to raise funds from the public here it feels right to me [when there's] the levy British tourists pay in France, Germany, and Italy… why should people from there not pay one?" In its first year in Manchester, the city visitor charge raised about £2.8m, and the ABID said it had not received any complaints from guests via hotels in the Mishra, general manager of The Edwardian hotel, said the fee helped to secure large-scale conferences and events and provided specialist training for accommodation operators on counter-terrorism and security, as well as paying for more street cleaning in the city BBC has contacted the government for a response. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer
