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Economic Development

'Tourist tax' is chance for West of England, mayor tells businesses

Helen Godwin has written an open letter encouraging company owners to engage in the consultation on the proposed levy

View of Bristol(Image: Getty Images)

The West of England mayor is urging business owners across the Bristol and Bath region to respond to the Government's consultation on the proposed 'tourist tax'.

In an open letter, Helen Godwin said a visitor levy was a chance for the West Country to raise investment to make the region "better".

"There is no reason why, working together with business, Visit West, and local councils, we cannot get this right and find a model that works for our region," she wrote.

“It is, of course, important that any visitor levy includes all those paying to stay. More widely, there is clearly a need for a short-term lets registration scheme to ensure a more level playing field, and I hope to see the legislation take that into account."

The mayor welcomed the devolution plans announced in Rachel Reeve's Budget last week, but cautioned that "nothing is happening overnight."

“Devolving this power to mayors like me, all around the country, is going to take time," she said. “Last week’s announcement from the Government around a visitor levy has already sparked a wider debate across the region and the country. That is something to welcome."

Ms Godwin stressed that any visitor levy in the West Country would only be introduced after "thorough consultation" and after examining "the places that already do it well" around the world.

"We also need to look at places that have struggled to implement a simple system that visitors can understand, and businesses can easily deliver, to avoid their mistakes," she added.