Grassroots is a monthly column shared by the East Lothian Climate Action Network and The East Lothian Courier, highlighting the work of our members’ over 100 local climate and nature projects.
A visitor levy can afford to be more creative when it comes to nature and environment, writes Thomas Bywater
Choosing to spend your holidays in East Lothian could soon be a more literal proposal. The East Lothian Council is one of 21 Scottish regions exploring a tourist tax. But could this be a good thing for our fragile, natural attractions – and the destinations beyond the beachfront hotspots?
In 2024 Scottish councils gained new powers to start charging visitors a nightly levy to raise revenue towards local priorities. From Aberdeen to Dunbartonshire, campsites to hotel suites, councils have been given permission to clip the tickets of holidaymakers.
In East Lothian this would look like a 5% blanket levy on all overnight stays.
In theory, any money raised must be ring-fenced to be spent on supporting infrastructure and development relevant to tourism. Though this is up to wide interpretation by councils. It might cover anything from destination advertising campaigns to maintaining public conveniences – or even subsidising beachfront ice cream sales. (Make 99s 99p again!)
It’s unsurprising that granting new revenue generating powers has been popular in cash strapped councils. Two thirds of Scotland could be subject to some sort of tourism tax in the next 18 months.
The all-encompassing visitor levy has promised a lot of things to a lot of different places. However – in the few places already running a tourist tax – it is already failing to deliver on a one intended outcome: tackling tourism pressure.
The Edinburgh Visitor levy was sold to city residents as a way to thin the crowds in August. After the first festival with a levy in place, it’s clear that visitor numbers didn’t stabilise, they grew.
The 2026 Fringe Festival broke records. Up 8% on the year before, this year also saw the highest single day for ticket sales in its 80-year history. And – at least in this respect – the Fringe is not some freak outlier.
Almost every single destination that has introduced a “tourist tax” has only seen a growth in visitor numbers. From Amsterdam to Antarctica.
This is worrying, considering the pretext of a levy in many places is to ease the pressures of overtourism on fragile ecosystems. Though a levy has been touted as a way of funding East Lothian’s hard-working Country Ranger Service’s work to protect coastal habitats, it does little to address the problem behind it.
It’s like funding a lifeboat service by continuing to sell tickets to leaky ships.
When the visitor levy was first proposed it was described, in part, as a tool to address the environmental impacts of tourism. Supplementary acts – such as the Cruise Levy – have made this link even more explicit.
In its current form the levy is a vehicle for revenue generation. Yes, this revenue can be used to address pressures from tourism, but the levy powers offer scope to be far more ambitious. Councils have powers not only on the amount, but where and to whom it is applied and across what accommodation types. East Lothian could charge a completely different levy fee for tourists staying in a short term rental in the middle of North Berwick to those in an East Lammermuir caravan park. Or none at all. Local authorities also have control over local exemptions.
How about a rebate for visitors arriving by bicycle or public transport? That would certainly address some of the complaints over parking in downtown North Berwick, and take a few cars out of circulation.
It could also be used to reboot other areas of low-emission, high-value tourism – such as bike packers, who currently have to contend with East Lothian’s lapsed and disjointed National Cycle Route 76.
Or (if it doesn’t sound too much like special pleading) why not a levy exemption for visitors who take part in local climate and nature projects?
It’s clear tourist taxes have a poor track record of controlling overtourism. However, through its application, a levy can encourage certain behaviours and values among visitors.
When Hugh Grant was pictured recently on the front of The Courier bringing his Ferrari F12 to North Berwick last week, I doubt the film star would have noticed a 5% mark up on his hotel bill.
The next time Mr Grant passes through the Golf Coast, his contribution to the ringfenced tourism levy pot would be welcome. But – if he arrived by bike, perhaps planting some hedgerow or joining a litter pick along the way – the rebate would be worth every penny.
Consultation on the East Lothian Tourism Levy Runs until 18 September.
You can respond online via the council website: eastlothianconsultations.co.uk/housing-environment/visitor-levy/
