A new announcement has been made regarding tourists in Edinburgh. Local politicians have approved a tourist tax for tourists staying overnight in the Scottish capital. This is the first tax in the United Kingdom.

From mid-2026, tourists staying in certain types of accommodation such as hotel bed and breakfasts, hostels, catering apartments or guest houses will be charged 5% of their accommodation cost per night.

The fee is capped at five consecutive nights per local authority. Accommodation providers will be responsible for collecting the fee on the authority's behalf. Ahead of the vote, City of Edinburgh Council leader Jane Meagher told councillors that tourists put pressure on the city's resources, which needed funding to be used in a planned and sustainable way.

So many tourists visit Edinburgh

In 2023, Edinburgh was expected to receive about 5 million overnight tourists, spending £2.2 billion ($2.7 billion), according to the website of national tourism body Visit Scotland. The council hopes the new tax will raise $45-50 million ($56-62 million) each year by 2028 or 2029.

A tourist tax in Edinburgh has been in the news since 2018 and became possible when the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act came into force in July.

‘Tourists make good use of it’

According to the City of Edinburgh Council website, under the act revenue from the levy must be used to support local amenities and services that are well used by businesses and tourists.

Some councillors said before the vote that they wished the fee was higher, expressing a desire to spend the revenue generated by the levy on providing affordable housing to residents.

Amsterdam has the highest taxes

Amsterdam is believed to have the highest tourist tax in Europe, with the nightly tax included in the price of a hotel room amounting to 12.5% ​​of the room rate.

The same fee applies to camping sites and vacation rentals in the Dutch capital, while sea and river cruise operators must pay €14.50 ($15.20) per passenger, according to the Amsterdam city website.