Could Angus bring in tourist tax for its £259m-a-year visitor sector?

The prospect of a tourist tax for Angus accommodation businesses is coming back under consideration.

And an overnight stay levy might generate as much as a million pounds per annum from the area’s £259m-a-year tourist sector.

But it follows previous resistance to the idea.

The last council leader said there would be no Angus tourist tax under his watch.

On Tuesday, policy and resources committee councillors will be asked to start a new round of consultation with accommodation providers.

Angus has 24 hotels. But any levy could apply to B&B and short-term Airbnb-style businesses.

The Visitor Levy Scotland Bill is currently going through parliament.

It proposes at least an 18-month period after the date of any local authority’s decision to introduce such a scheme.

So Angus officials say it will likely be 2026 before any Scottish council brings it in.

Many European countries, including parts of Germany and Spain, already add an overnight charge to hotel bills.

And Venice has gone a step further by introducing a five euro charge on day visitors to combat over-tourism.

How much might it generate in Angus?

Alison Smith, Angus Council’s director of vibrant communities and sustainable growth, says nothing has been decided yet.

She wants councillors to give the go-ahead for officials to begin talks with accommodation providers on how an Angus tourist tax might work.

Using Scottish tourism economic data, Angus officials estimate a local levy could gross £336k a year at a 1% rate, or up to £1m of it was 3%.

“The significant majority of revenue in Angus will be generated by hotels,” says the director.

“Should the council wish to progress with the introduction of a visitor levy then it would require to prepare and publicise an outline of the proposed scheme.

“An extensive consultation exercise must also be undertaken with representatives of communities, tourism organisations, businesses engaged in tourism and other persons likely to be affected.

“There are a number of cost and resource implications to develop, consult, set up, raise awareness and support a proposed visitor levy scheme.”

Has Angus previously considered a tourist tax?

In 2019, the coalition-controlled council laid down a marker against the idea of a levy.

Former authority leader David Fairweather said Angus would remain a tourist tax free zone under his watch.

And critics said taking it a stage further to impose a tax on day visitors would bring major practical challenges.

The authority’s response to the Scottish Government at that time said it would like councils to have the power to decide whether or not to introduce a levy.

It also backed a percentage charge rather than a flat fee approach.