‘Why should locals be taxed in their own area?’ Visitor Levy concerns remain despite council concessions

“The council should be encouraging business, not making it more expensive,” he said, warning that additional costs could ultimately be passed on to local consumers.

John Richardson, owner of Gowanlea Heights B&B in Campbeltown, also questioned the council’s decision to continue developing the levy proposals, saying the healthcare exemption was welcome but “shouldn’t have taken this much pressure for such an obvious issue to be recognised”.

Mr Richardson said he remained opposed to the principle of a Visitor Levy in Argyll and Bute and questioned whether sufficient economic evidence had been presented to support the proposals.

“The healthcare exemptions are a welcome step,” he said, “but they don’t answer the central question the public has already answered once: is this levy right for every part of Argyll and Bute?”

He called for an independent economic impact assessment before any further consultation takes place and questioned how any levy income would be distributed across different parts of the council area, including how much funding could come to Kintyre.

Mr Richardson also warned residents and businesses to scrutinise any future consultation carefully, including how questions are framed and whether the disadvantages of a levy are clearly presented alongside any proposed benefits.

Argyll and Bute Council’s revised draft scheme will also reflect changes made to national legislation through the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which is awaiting Royal Assent. The updated legislation allows councils to choose between a flat-rate levy or one based on a percentage of accommodation costs.

Councillors also agreed that any draft scheme should include details of projects which could be funded through levy income.

The proposals are being developed by the Shadow Visitor Levy Forum, which includes representatives from the council, Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative, VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority.

Council leader Councillor Jim Lynch said: “Delivering benefits for the area and its visitor economy is obviously the focus in taking time to develop a revised draft visitor levy scheme. 

“More work needs to be done before the revised draft scheme can come before council in June for further consideration.”

Responding to criticism from business owners, an Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said changes to national legislation and community feedback meant any new draft scheme “could look different to the previous one”.

The spokesperson added: “The visitor economy is key to the area and needs financial support in different ways. A Visitor Levy could provide the visitor economy with dedicated income at a time when council funding – a key source of support – is at risk, with multi-million pound gaps set to continue.

“Work is therefore being done to develop a new draft Visitor Levy scheme for councillors to consider as an opportunity for vital funding for visitor economy services and infrastructure.”

The draft scheme is expected to come before councillors in June. If approved, it would then move to a further public consultation stage.