Wales to Implement Tourist Tax Starting in 2027
On July 8, 2025, the Senedd Cymru, or Welsh Parliament, passed the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill, requiring tourists to pay a ‘tourism tax’, otherwise known as an overnight visitor levy.
The tax will charge £0.75 for a night’s stay at a campsite or a hostel per person, excluding people younger than 18. £1.30 will also be charged for all other accommodations per person per night, regardless of age.
The government announced in a YouTube video that the tax will be in place starting in 2027 at the earliest.
The bill states that the 22 councils in Wales can decide for themselves if they would like to implement the levy in their principal area. But if they would like to put it in place, they must consult the community as well. Councils can also raise the tax, but they must go through a special process and give a year’s notice. Not all the councils are expected to apply the tax, but if they all did, the government estimates £33 million generated yearly. The tax money will be invested in local services and infrastructure, such as building visitor centers, maintaining roads and parks, and cleaning beaches.
Tourism taxes are not a new thing. Many countries already have a visitor levy of some kind. In fact, this bill makes Wales the 25th country in Europe, and the 50th country worldwide, to implement a tourism tax.
“Visitor levies are common around the world – benefiting local communities, tourists and businesses – and we want the same for Wales,” said the Wales Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford. “Money raised through a levy would be retained by local authorities and reinvested back into their local areas to support local, sustainable tourism. It’s a small contribution that could make a big difference.”
Tourism tax has also showcased how it could be useful. Venice implemented its own tourist tax in 2024, and it generated €2.4 million for the city, while the €5 fee, much larger than what Wales will charge, still did not deter visitors from the city.
But not everyone thinks a levy would be beneficial. William McNamara, who is the chief executive of Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire, has reservations about the tax, which will add additional costs to tourists.
“Wales risks becoming less attractive to visitors, especially families, who may view this as an additional cost in an already competitive UK market,” he pointed out.
The Welsh Conservative shadow minister for finance, Peter Fox, stated that a tourism tax would attract fewer visitors to Wales.
“We’ve been absolutely clear from the start that this policy is the wrong one for Wales,” he said. “should be nurtured by the Welsh government, not hamstrung by new taxes.”
The Welsh Conservative Party has also promised to stop the bill from being put into place if they have enough seats in the Senedd after the 2026 elections.
Good work
