'Tourist tax' should be imposed on millions of annual Lake District visitors, claims report

Experts highlighted biology harm caused to communities by the sheer fig of tourists. European countries enforce a tourer levy successful fashionable destinations, including Italy, Greece and Germany.

A 'tourist tax' should beryllium imposed connected millions of visitors who determination into the Lake District each year, according to a caller report.

Experts highlighted biology harm caused to communities by the sheer fig of tourists. European countries enforce a tourer levy successful fashionable destinations, including Italy, Greece and Germany. It has proven arguable successful Venice, wherever visitors wage a 5 Euros (£4.20) interest erstwhile booked successful advance, and 10 Euros if paid connected the time (£8.40).

The archetypal coastal tourer taxation successful the UK, acceptable to beryllium introduced successful parts of Dorset, was enactment connected clasp pursuing absorption from hotels. But the Scottish Government introduced tourism taxation powers this year, and the Welsh Government has akin plans.

The interaction of tourism successful the Lakes includes sewage discharge, precocious c emissions, congestion and harm to the scenery from cars, with much than 18m visitors per year. The Friends of the Lake District foundation recognised immense benefits that tourism brings to the section economy. But it argued that costs originate erstwhile the fig of visitors exceeds infrastructure capacity.

Sustainable tourism specializer Dr Davina Stanford prepared a study for the foundation called 'Who Pays for the Lake District?'. Released connected Wednesday, it gave antithetic ways for wealth to beryllium raised, based connected lawsuit studies crossed Europe.

They see a taxation connected overnight stays, a visitant conveyance levy charge, a visitant parking charge, oregon a tourer betterment district. Friends of the Lake District’s Policy Officer Dr Kate Willshaw said: “We cognize that tourism plays a captious relation successful supporting section economies. But we besides know, from this research, it brings with it a outgo that is not presently being met."

The visitant taxation options should beryllium investigated by section authorities and the Lake District National Park Authority, according to the charity. Dr Kate Willshaw added: “We judge that we request to research the assorted schemes. They could beryllium implemented to code the impacts of tourism and unlock concern successful captious areas similar nationalist transport."

Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive of Campaign for National Parks, said they were 1 of the country’s biggest occurrence stories, bringing immense benefits to wellness and wellbeing, and billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to enactment agrarian economies. She added: "The study shows that the 100 cardinal visits to National Parks each twelvemonth could go a unit for recovery.”

A 2019 study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated that a £1 per caput tourism levy, if introduced successful England, could instantly rise gross of £420m. The Scottish Parliament voted successful favour of a tourer levy earlier this year. The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act allows section authorities successful Scotland to complaint a levy connected short-stay accommodation.

Edinburgh City assembly is already astatine enactment connected a levy, which is expected to travel into unit successful 2026. The Welsh Government besides plans to present a tourer taxation The study is disposable astatine Who Pays for the Lake District?