Wales is working on introducing a tourist tax. A draft bill has already been drafted and will now be considered by the Welsh Parliament. However, residents fear a decline in interest.
The tax of 1.25 pounds (PLN 6.45) per night will apply to guests of hotels and guesthouses. A lower rate – 0.75 pounds (PLN 3.87) will apply to those who stay in Wales they will decide to spend it on campsites and hostels – reports the BBC, citing the published draft bill.
As the portal adds, those who will be accommodated with family or whose stay will exceed 31 days will be exempt from the fee.
What's more, the fee is to be waived across Wales. The authorities of individual regions will decide whether the tax will be introduced, according to the proposal, the BBC reports.
Proposed tourist tax in Wales. From 2027 at the earliest
The proposal to introduce such a fee appeared in 2018. Four years later, the idea was subjected to public consultations. A draft of the relevant law has already been published. The Welsh Parliament must now pass it. According to officials, the tax may be introduced in April 2027 at the earliest.
The initiative was met with mixed reception. Some fear that having to pay such a fee will discourage tourists from visiting Wales. A similar tax already applies in many countries and cities. An example is Venice, which recently announced that it intends to extend the number of days during the holiday season that will be covered by such a fee.
Purpose of money obtained from tourist tax
The funds obtained from the tax contribute to the construction of tourist infrastructure and the renovation of popular monuments. In the case of Wales, estimated revenues of £33 million per year would also be allocated to the protection and promotion of the Welsh language.
As reported by Euronews, the number of people speaking this language is clearly decreasing every year and, according to the latest data, in 2024 only 27.8% of people over 3 years of age spoke it. This was the lowest rate recorded in the last eight years and lower by approximately 1.4%. than in 2023. According to the portal, the Welsh government has already taken steps to strengthen the importance of the Welsh language as part of the government program Cymraeg 2050, which assumes that by 2025, Welsh will be spoken by one million people.
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