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.
The Government is giving mayoral strategic authorities in England, including the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), the power to create local overnight visitor levies.
A national consultation on the proposals is running until February 2026.
“The West remains the place to be, thanks to our culture, our nature, and so much more besides," Ms Godwin added.
"Tourism was worth a record amount last year, not just making money for our regional economy but creating jobs for local people and making memories for the people visiting."
