SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says new visitor levy would drive people away.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Chairman of the Cross-Party Group on Tourism, was speaking, in the Senedd, on Stage 3 of the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill – Group 1: Power to extend Act to berths and moorings (Amendments 67, 104, 108).
He said: “I want to make some broader points in relation to the legislation in front of us and reiterate the Welsh Conservatives’ general opposition to this visitor levy Bill.
“The tourism sector is united in its opposition and that’s for very good reason. The sector, particularly after COVID, desperately needs a Government that understands it and encourages it, not one that imposes taxes that will drive people away.
“Our visitor sector is one of the most positive parts of our struggling economy in Wales and does not need a barrier to make it even less competitive.
“We know that tourism is responsible for one in eight jobs directly and through the supply chain here in Wales, supporting our communities through economic growth, a multibillion-pound sector that already pumps significant sums into the public purse through business rates, income tax, corporation tax, dividends tax, VAT, national insurance and capital gains tax.
“Tourism businesses in Wales are already taxed significantly, making them less competitive than the international market.
“Group 1 of the amendments, regarding berths and moorings. We are proposing to remove berths and moorings from the visitor levy.
“The reason for this is simple as the Act would unfairly burden those using berths and moorings as they aren’t visitor accommodations in a traditional sense, as boats are meant to move, not stay put. Boaters don’t sign up for accommodation. They pay for moorings or marine services, which is something very different, and recreational boating is a leisure or sporting activity—it’s not an overnight accommodation.”
Mark Drakeford Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language said application of the visitor levy to berths and moorings is properly within the scope of this Bill but before proposals are brought back to the Senedd, more work will be undertaken, including further consultation with the marine sector.
Mr Rowlands added: “The matter of boats and craft is very different to fixed accommodation so we still believe that these should not be within the scope and we remain totally against the introduction of a tourist tax in Wales.”
