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Enterprise

'Game-changing' tourist levy proposed in Chester city centre

The new scheme would see guests staying in 27 Chester hotels pay a £2 plus VAT charge per room, per night

Watergate Street, Chester(Image: Ian Cooper)

Plans have been revealed for a visitor levy in Chester which could generate over £1 million a year.

This fund would be reinvested into new events and festivals, enhanced services, and promoting the city as a tourist hotspot for both business and leisure travellers domestically and internationally.

The scheme, similar to others that have been described as 'tourist taxes', would require guests at 27 hotels in Chester to pay an additional charge of £2 plus VAT per room, per night. Tourism and business leaders behind the initiative argue that visitor numbers have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, and public funding for tourism promotion has also seen a decrease.

The objective of the levy is to generate investment to attract more tourists to stay in the city's hotels, visit its attractions, and spend money in local shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes, thereby creating more employment opportunities.

Chester hotel owners are set to cast their votes on the proposed visitor charge, detailed in a five-year business plan, between June 14 and July 11. Should the majority back the proposal, an Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) would be established, introducing the charge from January 2025.

The Chester ABID blueprint is taking its cue from . Taking charge of the ABID proposal is Destination Chester - a network comprising city attractions and businesses - alongside the current Chester City Centre Business Improvement District and the Chester Hospitality Association.

These entities are coordinating efforts with Cheshire West and Chester Council as well as tourism body Marketing Cheshire to put the ABID proposal into motion and handle the ballot process.

Chair of Destination Chester, Colin Potts advocated: "The Chester Accommodation BID offers the potential for a game-changing investment in our city's visitor economy, that would allow us to build on and improve the incredible tourism offer we already provide.