A tourism tax is not the “right answer” for Weston-super-Mare, the council has warned, amid calls for action against tourists from some in the town.
The North Somerset town made its name as a Victorian seaside resort and tourism remains a major part of the town ’s economy. But people who volunteer to pick litter on the beach have called for tourists to have to pay a tax to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism.
Sophie Newton runs the Sophie’s Super Litter Picking group and spent more than two and a half hours filling 18 bags with rubbish from the beach on July 29. She told the BBC: “More people means more rubbish. […] As a seaside town, we simply aren’t ever prepared for the influx of visitors and unfortunately, we very much cannot afford the extra provisions required from our council tax alone.”
Councils do not have the power to impose tourist taxes but they have been effectively introduced in Liverpool and Manchester though a workaround. Nearby Bath, a major tourist destination, has repeatedly floated the idea of a tourist tax.
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But Cllr Mike Bell, the leader of North Somerset Council and local councillor for Weston-super-Mare central, said he did not think it was the right answer for the town. He said: “The visitor economy brings millions of visitors to Weston-super-Mare and employs a large number of local people and is an important sector for us. Last year alone there were around 4.2 million day visits to Weston, 175,000 staying visitor trips where people stayed longer than one day and the total visitor spend was nearly £200 million.
“We also recognise large numbers of visitors can create pressures on local services, including litter. We’re working with local businesses and our partners to try and get the balance right and to maximise the year-round benefit to the North Somerset economy.
“This year we’ve put extra resources into seafront litter collections and are increasing signage and messaging to encourage visitors to ‘leave only footprints’. Where appropriate we take enforcement action against those who litter too.
“I don’t personally believe that a tourist tax is the right answer. Whilst it might generate some additional revenue, it will also add to the cost of holidaying in Weston-super-Mare.
“Thanks to high levels of VAT the UK tourism industry operates at a disadvantage compared to European towns and cities. Holidays here attract 20% VAT but in most of Europe it is just 5%. We have to be careful not to make that price disadvantage worse.
“However, this is an important conversation to have as local council budgets are under increasing pressure and we are all, together, going to have to find new ways of meeting the challenges we face. We don’t have the power to introduce a tourism tax, but we are speaking with government about being giving more freedoms and opportunities to tackle local problems with local solutions.”
Weston-super-Mare’s beach and seaside attractions such as the Grand Pier are major drivers of tourism in the town. North Somerset Council is currently working on bringing Birnbeck Pier back to life after receiving funding from the Levelling Up Fund and a host of sources to restore the derelict structure.
