Talks with the trade will begin after Angus councillors agreed to explore the idea of a tourist tax for the area.
One figure who backs the scheme said it was only right visitors should help pay for local facilities they enjoy while staying here.
And Montrose councillor Bill Duff hailed the area’s “unique” free parking as something tourists should cough up to support.
But the levy created conflict in the council chamber when it came under consideration for the second time since 2019.
Tourism worth almost £260m-a-year to Angus
Angus officials say an overnight stay charge of 1% would generate more than £300,000-a-year.
If a 3% levy was applied it would gross a million pounds spin-off from the £259m tourists pump into the county annually.
Council officers wanted the go-ahead to start talks with the area’s 24 hotels and other accommodation providers.
SNP finance spokesman Mr Duff said: “I’m really pleased to see this paper come forward.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the visitor levy. I know a number of councils are very keen to introduce it
“I think it’s certainly something Angus needs to consider.
“We’re very short of money and the transient visitor levy was one of the vehicles the government proposed to increase the income of councils
“In Angus we already provide a lot of facilities for tourists. Through Angus Alive we provide swimming pools, sports centres, museums – much of which is subsidised by the council.
“And we provide, which is probably unique in the UK, town centre free parking.
“But there’s no such thing as free parking. It probably costs the council £100,000 a year to maintain and they will be used, to a certain extent, by tourists.
“So I think its not unreasonable that we ask tourists to make a small contribution to the facilities we offer.”
Car parking charges have been a major Angus issue since their failed 2018 re-introduction under the former coalition administration.
The current SNP ruling group said it would not be brining them back when it set the 2024/25 budget.
Fear of small businesses folding
Forfar councillor Ross Greig wanted to stop the idea in its tracks.
He said: “I completely and wholeheartedly disagree with the introduction of a tourist tax, and that’s what it is.
“We’re already imposed short term let fees which have had quite a significant impact.
“The really important thing to note about the hotels we have in Angus is that the vast majority are independent businesses.
“Similarly we have some very long established bed and breakfast businesses that are now having to pay additional fees.
“Think about how much work a hotel or B&B owner has to do to get the £120-a-night mentioned in the report.
“Their staff, running costs, advertising costs – a lot of that is taken up and they’re not actually making that much money.
“Dundee has lots of big chain hotels, they can absorb this. Our independent hotels and B&Bs don’t have that luxury, they don’t have that capability.
“The introduction of yet another tax on their their business may cause more to even fold.”
Councillors agreed to begin the engagement process on a visitor levy.
A future report will be brought back to members in due course.
Conversation