Update 24 June 2026
Following changes to national visitor levy legislation, the Council is bringing back the opportunity for people to consider a visitor levy for 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute.
A report outlining the changes, as well as the challenges and opportunities of a levy was considered at a meeting of full Council today. You can read the report on the website.
The draft visitor levy scheme that views will be invited on is different to the one previously considered. It includes for example proposed local exemptions from paying, a flat rate rather than percentage approach for a levy, and suggestions for how levy income could be used.
You can read about that in brief in our news release and we will provide more information when the consultation opens on 13th July. It will run until 5th October.
Why is the council consulting again?
We have to consider every opportunity to bring additional funding into 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute.
The visitor economy uses publicly-funded services, with many shared with residents - from waste, signage or air and sea transport services, to events, toilets and EV chargers.
Councils simply do not have enough funding to do everything everyone wants. And investing in tourism services is not a duty of a council.
Given all this, we can’t just turn our back on an opportunity that could bring millions of pounds into 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute’s visitor economy.
Instead, following changes to legislation, we want to give residents, visitors and businesses the chance to be involved in considering a levy for 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute.
What does the consultation ask about?
You can read the consultation questions in appendix 2 of the report.
There are questions for residents, visitors and businesses. In brief, we are asking for views on proposed exemptions from paying a levy, on a levy charge being a flat rate rather than a percentage-based charge, and on what you would like income from a levy to be spent on if 51³Ô¹ÏÃâ·ÑApp and Bute had one.
We will provide further updates here as the consultation process progresses.
