Time Running Out for Edinburgh to be Ready for Visitor Levy says FSB

Urgent work needed to help accommodation providers prepare for the launch of Scotland’s first Visitor Levy at the height of next year’s tourist season

Guesthouse and B&B owners in the Scottish Capital fear time is running out for them to be ready for the launch of the country’s first Visitor Levy.

Visitors will be required to pay a 5% surcharge on overnight stays in Edinburgh from 24 July, 2026, but it will apply to advance bookings from 1 October this year.

Accommodation providers say they are far from ready and struggling to find the information they need to prepare for the launch at the height of the tourist season next summer.

The Federation of Small Businesses is highlighting calls from small accommodation providers for the city council to produce a roadmap detailing what it will do and when, to ensure everything is ready in time.

Garry Clark, FSB Development Manager for East Scotland, said:
“Everyone wants the launch of the Visitor Levy to be a success, but there are many unanswered questions about how it will operate. It is due to come into force just a week before next summer’s Fringe. To have any problems still being ironed out then, could be a disaster.

“One thing concerning our members is that there is so much to do and little visible sign of progress in the last six months. To take just one example, they are still to see the payment platform which is being built especially for them to transfer to the local authority the Levy funds they collect from visitors.

“Now, with just a year to go, the clock is ticking ever louder. It is a sign of just how worried they are that they are taking time out at one of their busiest times of year to raise the issue.

“It would go a long way to reassure the city’s accommodation providers if the council takes steps now to provide these businesses with a detailed roadmap containing specific information on what they need to do and when, in order to ensure that preparations for the Visitor Levy run smoothly.”

James Marshall, proprietor of the Crioch Guest House, said:
“All the information I have I’ve had to find out for myself. The council website seems to be out-of-date or at least not recently updated. If the council wants to give us all enough time for a summer launch, then we need some more information on what’s planned and when. I’m not talking about comforting words but a concrete project roadmap.”