92% of London’s visitor industry opposes Lyons tax
13-Sep-2006
The overwhelming majority of London’s visitor industry would be against a ‘bed tax’ as proposed in Sir Michael Lyons’ inquiry into local government, according to the first survey on the issue as carried out by Visit London.
The survey canvassed the opinions of tourism businesses in London on the potential impact of a bed tax, which could add 5-10 % to a visitor’s accommodation bill:
- 92% were ‘completely opposed’ to the proposed tax
- 65% claimed the move would cause a ‘major down-turn’ in the level of their business (of more than 5% of turnover) – while 30% thought it would lead to a decrease of between 1-5%
Craig Beaumont, Visit London public affairs manager said: “As the proposal currently stands, a blanket bed tax would not be of benefit to visitors, or the businesses that rely on them. Revenues from the tax would not be ring-fenced for tourism spending so how would we know that any money raised would be ploughed back into supporting the industry?”
The suggested Lyons tax on tourist accommodation is floated alongside a number of other proposals in the inquiry. The Lyons Inquiry will report to Ministers by the end of the year, who will then decide whether to take forward some or all of his proposals. The major Lyons Inquiry Conference is taking place on 14 September 2006, where this issue will be highlighted.
For further information, contact Craig Beaumont at Visit London cbeaumont@visitlondon.com, 020 7234 5890, 07768 055 564
Notes to Editors
· Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. Its role is to promote London as the world’s most exciting city, targeting domestic and overseas leisure and business visitors as well as Londoners. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor, the London Development Agency and the commercial industry.
