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The sign for the Senedd, the Welsh parliament building in Cardiff
THE Senedd passed plans for a £1.30-a-night tourism tax in parts of Wales from 2027.
Senedd members voted 37-13 on Tuesday night for the Tourism Tax Bill, which will see people charged £1.30 each, plus VAT, for stays in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation.
People staying in hostels and campsites would pay 75p per person per night, with under-18s exempt from the lower rate of the tax which would be introduced in 2027 at the earliest.
The tax would raise around £33 million a year if implemented across the country but the 22 councils in Wales will be given powers to decide whether to introduce a levy locally.
Only two councils, Cardiff and Anglesey, have so far indicated plans to bring in a levy but other authorities had yet to make a decision or had “no plans” to introduce a tax.
Labour MS Jenny Rathbone highlighted thousands visiting Cardiff for the Oasis concert while communities picked up the costs.
She asked: “Why should poor people rather than visitors have to pay?”
CAROL WILCOX argues for the proper implementation of the land value tax, which could see unused plots sold off and landlords priced out of landlordism, potentially resolving the housing and planning crises
The electorate see no evidence of the government’s promises of change, and the good jobs and decent pay that people are crying out for. Bold action is needed right now, warns SHARON GRAHAM
