Dhaka: Glasgow has approved a 5pc tourist tax on overnight stays, set to take effect from 25 January 2027, as councils and mayors across the UK weigh similar measures to fund local services and infrastructure.

It is estimated that, on average, guests will pay a surcharge of around £4.83 (€5.64) per night.

The measure’s scope extends from B&Bs, guest houses and hostels, to hotels and self-catering rentals. It is expected to raise approximately £16 million (€18.6 million) annually – a sum that will be spent on infrastructure and events.

A number of other Scottish authorities, including Argyll and Bute, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highland, and South Ayrshire have also been negotiating similar fiscal plans but have met with opposition from locals and business leaders alike.

Glasgow, which is Scotland’s most populous city, follows the capital Edinburgh in approving such a move.

Councillors in Edinburgh gave the go ahead in January 2025 for a 5pc levy on nightly accommodation that will be payable from 24 July 2026. It is anticipated to generate around £50 million (over €58 million) for city improvement schemes but has proved to be controversial and has been capped at five nights.

Meanwhile, across the border to the south, English mayors recently wrote a joint open letter appealing for such powers themselves.

The coalition, led by Steve Rotheram, Liverpool’s mayor, is lobbying the government for more powers to impose local tourist taxes to help popular destinations cope with “pressures on our infrastructure and services.”

Rotheram argues that: “A small charge on overnight stays – the kind most of us wouldn’t think twice about when travelling abroad – would give us the power to reinvest directly into the things that make our area so special.”

It’s a point already accepted by many destinations around the world, from Venice, which introduced daytripper access charges in 2024, to Mount Fuji in Japan.

-B