Welsh government hopes to boost tourism and heritage with proposed ‘tourist tax’

Panoramic view of the Cardiff Bay, Wales, including the Millennium Centre—the national arts centre for Wales
Adobe Stock/muratart
Wales may follow in the footsteps of cities such as Venice and New York and introduce a “tourist tax”, the Welsh government announced yesterday (25 November). Such a levy, which could be introduced from 2027, would raise money for local communities and promote heritage.
The bill which includes the tax was introduced by Labour’s Welsh finance and Welsh language secretary Mark Drakeford. If passed by the Welsh parliament, it would give local authorities the option to introduce a levy of 75p per person per night to stay in hostels or on campsite pitches, and £1.25 for any other accommodation.
“If all local authorities introduced a levy, it could potentially generate up to £33m across Wales. Amid significant budget pressures, this additional revenue has the potential to make a substantial positive impact on our communities,” says the proposed bill.
“Visitor levies play a crucial role in supporting communities and protecting the environment all over the world. Many countries have seen real benefits from the reinvestment of visitor levy funds. We believe such success can be replicated in Wales,” the document continues.
The Welsh Conservative party, however, took a less positive view of the proposed bill, taking to X to declare that “these plans should be scrapped immediately”.
In April, after delays and passionate protests, Venice became the world’s first city to charge day trippers an entry fee of €5. Ahead of the pilot’s launch, councillors said other cities could learn from Venice’s experiment, while critics said the scheme was doomed to failure. Over two months, almost 450,000 tourists paid the tax, raising revenues of around €2.2m.
The tax will be implemented again next year, running from 18 April to 27 July; last-minute reservations will be charged €10.

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