London, the UK's capital and largest city is on track to implement a new tourist tax on overnight visitors to hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, and short-term holiday rentals, including those booked through platforms like Airbnb with the aim to curb overtourism.
This new "visitor levy" is part of a plan by the Greater London Authority as a model to give mayors across England the authority to charge such a fee, which could help fund cleaner streets, financing the maintenance of infrastructure, public spaces and improving local services used by millions of visitors each year.
The charge is expected to be small, modest fee per night, though the exact amount and structure (flat fee or percentage) will vary between different locations, and it is also intended to be a move that aligns the UK with practices already common in other European cities like Berlin, Paris, and Rome.
The measure will be enabled by the British government through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which will allow the Mayor Sadiq Khan, and other local leaders to apply taxes to hotels, tourist apartments, campsites, caravan parks and Airbnb - type accommodation. This tax would be in addition to the current Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which costs £16.
In 2024 London recorded 89 million overnight stays, which has intensified the pressure of public transport, urban cleaning and diverse municipal services. With this new tax tool, the British capital could raise up to £240 million a year, resources that would be used to promote tourism, protect heritage, developing cultural activities and improving the visitor experience.
London's Mayor Sadiq Khan defended the measure as a way to redistribute the costs of tourism and prevent residents from unintentionally suffering the consequences of overcrowding, saying the aim to keep London one of the most attractive cities in the world.
London would be the first city in the UK to apply this new tax, expected in spring 2026, after a period a period of consultations and local authorities, and other cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester could follow the same path.
This initiative has generated criticism in the sector. UK Hospitality warned that the new tax could affect the competitiveness of hotels and make domestic holidays more expensive, while international associations, such as Australia's ATIA, warned that London could become less attractive compared to other destinations due to rising costs.
Link
https://infoturlatam.com/londres-prepara-nuevo-impuesto-para-frenar-el-sobreturismo/
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