Hoteliers hit out at proposal for £1-a-night Cornwall holiday tax

Cornwall council discussing imposing tax on visitors, saying it could raise £26m a year and improve county Cornish hoteliers, bed and breakfast owners and visitors have reacted angrily to an idea that a £1-a-night tax could be levied on tourists to the county. Cornwall council is discussing imposing the tax on visitors, arguing that it could raise £26m a year and help improve the county for both tourists and residents. However, many who work in the tourism industry have expressed concern that the measure would prompt some visitors to stay away. Andy Hannan, the mayor of Newquay in north Cornwall, was among those who said he was shocked at the idea. “I’m amazed, flabbergasted. This tax will put us at a disadvantage,” he said. “The fear is it will just disappear into the Cornwall council pot.” Kevin Oliver, the chairman of Cornwall Federation of Small Businesses, said: “I think it would be detrimental to the county’s economy. If you introduce a tourist tax, you turn people away from Cornwall – and why would anybody want to do that? It’s just a nonsense.” Gill Jenkins, who runs a B&B in Bodmin, said she feared a tax would act as a deterrent to would-be visitors. Julian Peck, a hotelier in Looe, south Cornwall, said a multi-million pound industry would be risked for the sake of “a quid”. He also pointed out that while £1 a night did not sound like much, it equated to more than £50 for a family of four staying for a fortnight. People who often holiday in Cornwall expressed distaste about the idea, some claiming they would never visit a part of the UK that effectively charged them for the privilege. Tom Flanagan, Cornwall council’s corporate director for the environment, planning and economy, raised the idea at a meeting of the communities and local government select committee. He argued that it could help mitigate the impact of central government cuts on areas such as public transport. However, he admitted that collecting the tax would be difficult. Cornwall council said it was one of a “range of ideas” being looked at. A spokesperson explained: “The suggestion to raise money to improve the local infrastructure in Cornwall by introducing a charge for tourists is not formal council policy at this time. “It is one of a range of ideas which are being considered by the council, and has not yet been discussed by councillors.” Cornwall United Kingdom Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 10, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.