Edinburgh Visitor Levy Implementation Delayed by Three Months

The predicted date for commencement of the Edinburgh visitor levy was July of this year, however, following confirmation of the introduction, councillors have voted to delay the start of the transition period until October. This provides a welcome extra 3 months to prepare.

Businesses now have to work on their own marketing information, websites and social media platforms to ensure the levy payment is clear to customers and this extension provides an invaluable element of extra time for the booking platforms to undertake programming and coding changes.

This policy's implementation is costs heavy for operators and the fear continues that it will impact on Edinburgh as a first-choice location for travellers.

UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson said: “Not only has Edinburgh’s visitor levy been confirmed, but so too has the hit to the city’s competitiveness as a leading tourist destination. Our fundamental concern has always been that this levy will only serve to make visitors trips to Edinburgh more expensive, ultimately reducing their spending in the wider visitor economy and deterring future visits. It’s now the job of the council to use these funds wisely to improve the capital’s attractiveness as a visitor destination and mitigate the impact of the levy on businesses.”