Aberdeen City Council considering visitor levy

Aberdeen City Council is considering introducing a 7% visitor levy.

Councillors will meet next week to discuss the proposals which would see a levy fixed onto overnight stays in accommodation like hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guest houses.

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act became law in September 2024 and last month, Edinburgh City Council was the first Scottish local authority to make use of the legislation.

Aberdeen's proposals would see a levy of around £5 per night on an average room of £70 a night.

The proposals will be presented to the finance committee on Wednesday, where councillors will discuss whether to proceed with a wider consultation.

Findings would then be reported back to the committee later this year.

The earliest it could be introduced is April 2027.

It comes after research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found two-thirds of local authorities in Scotland are considering introducing the 'tourist tax'.

FSB said 21 out of 32 councils have been either discussing the idea or are actively pursuing plans to implement a local levy.

The report states that the main purpose of the act is to enable councils to invest more in local tourism facilities and services that benefit visitors and residents.

Stephen Gow, Vice Chair at Aberdeen City and Shire Hotel Association, said the levy should be viewed as a way to improve Aberdeen's visitor economy by making it a better place to visit.

Mr Gow said: "I just think it's going to be part and parcel of what we do. I don't see it being negative, I think we're going to have an income that we can use in the city to promote the city and that's the most important thing."

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