I would object strongly; it feels very unwelcoming. When I spend time somewhere I'm already contributing to the local economy and employment whenever I spend any money. I will almost certainly be spending more per day on many things (eating out, entertainment, attractions) than the locals do.  Not my fault if the current tax regime doesn't pass that on effectively, and why charge overnight visitors but not those who just come for the day, except that they are an easy target?

On a related note, my local council gives reduced car park rates to us residents.  That does make me a little uncomfortable and feels Little Britain-ish ("local car parks for local people").  Don't we want to encourage people from elsewhere to come into the borough to spend their money here and help our local economy?  It also does nothing to encourage local residents to leave their car at home and use our pretty good public transport (outer W London) or walk/cycle for those local journeys.

PS Going somewhere on holiday in the UK isn't a staycation!  For me it's a perfectly normal holiday, abroad being very much the exception as I haven't run out of UK places I want to see for the first time or return to.

 

I don't doubt your views, but is it really regressive? Pay per head 'x-amount' is equal, and therefore is neither progressive nor regressive.

 

And here is the paperwork example for Zittau from last week ... 2 night stay, 2 adults 2x2=4 pages like this to complete



On a previous visit, I can recall being "let off" - "it doesn't apply" when I admitted to being there partly to see how they do public transport - "learning".  Ironically, I actually wanted to pay to get my local bus pass!

 
For comparison, the French taxe de séjour can be set by each commune within a nationally defined range. For hotels it is (this year) 0.5€ to 1.7€ for 3 star, from about half to double that for 1-5 star. It's paid via the hotel per night and per adult - none for under-18s. Things like camping, gites, and moorings are less. The list I've found does not have holiday rentals - my memory suggests it was similar to the 2 star rate.

It is still defined as for tourists, and while the range of places than can use it has been broadened it is still not available to everywhere. There are a lot of exclusions, e.g. for seasonal staff in resorts.

 
It's a firm "No" from me.

It would seem this Government is doing its level best to destroy the hospitality sector already, the last thing it needs is another regressive tax.

 

Indeed - my "bad" in the subject line.  It is per head per night where I have seen and paid it.

 

That's a Body Tax, not a room tax.

 
yep, that is likely to be right

 

A family of 4 staying 13 nights at £2 per night each would cost £104.

 
Sky News, inventing a headline? 

 
Intrigued to know where the figure of £100 came from…

 
I have voted, thinking about Edinburgh in particular (where I have stayed in hotels many times there, years ago).

I don't think there should be another 'hotel room tax', as it would only serve to reduce the attractiveness of such a tourist venue.  They already have to pay substantial amounts of business tax, after all.

Those peripheral benefits of discounts on various tourist attractions would be irrelevant to me: I was there for an overnight stay to attend two-day business meetings.

CfN. 

 
I have voted - in favour - in my own poll.  I would prefer there not to be a "hotel room tax" - however, it makes sense to help the local authorities pay for the extra support needed by all the extra people around from things as basic as clearing the litter bins and providing more road crossings for the crowds in the town.

In some towns such as Rostock and Zittau, the room tax also brings you things like a pass to use on local public transport or a discount at local attractions. And, yes, used in Rostock to catch the bus without having to work out how to buy a ticket.

 
Looks like it - although at least Scotland already have this - Edinburgh has already implemented it for this summer's trade.

Maybe what's intended is that this tax is levied by mayors, not Government, and mayors get to spend it.

 
From Sky News


That refers to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rewiring-the-state-cabinet-statement/rewiring-the-state-cabinet-statement-html which includes a very long and potentially very plan setting agenda.  Deep in it


In our travels over this spring / summer, we have become very used to paying a handful of Euros or other local currency per person per night as a local room tax - is this what the proposal is suggesting for the UK?