Labour’s Richard Quigley MP has backed the principle of a tourist tax for those visiting the Isle of Wight, while Conservative MP Joe Robertson has warned further levies could damage the Island’s visitor economy.
A political row over a potential tourist tax emerged at this month’s State of the Island Travel and Tourism Debate.
The exchange came after panellists were asked who should be driving change in tourism and where accountability had been lacking. In answering the question, speakers turned to the issue of tourism funding and the possibility of a future visitor levy.
Visit Isle of Wight Chief Executive Dominic Wray argued that the Isle of Wight did not have a tourism product problem, but a funding problem.
He said:
“The problem is not the lack of a product. The Isle of Wight is one of the most amazing places in the world. We need investment. The product is there, the appeal is there, the ambition is there. We need a funding model to give our destination a fighting chance.”
The issue has become increasingly relevant following Government proposals to allow elected mayors to introduce visitor levies to fund local services and tourism projects.
Isle of Wight West MP Richard Quigley argued that visitors would be willing to pay a modest charge if the money was used to improve services and facilities.
He said:
“As for the visitor levy, if you can charge £1.50 a night – if that means you can properly fund an organisation that brings visitors to the Isle of Wight, cleans the beaches all year round, gets the bins emptied, makes sure the roads and pavements are repaired, then I’ve yet to meet a person not willing to pay less than the price of a cup of coffee.”
Isle of Wight Council leader Jonathan Bacon also expressed support for the principle of a visitor levy.
Cllr Bacon said:
“I hope the visitor levy will be a positive thing.”
However, Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson blamed Labour’s recent budgets for increasing costs faced by tourism and hospitality businesses and argued that further taxes would make matters worse.
He said:
“We have had 2 budgets which have made it harder particularly in tourism and hospitality. When you tax something, you get less of it. If you tax tourism, you get less of it and that’s why I’m against a visitor levy.”
The Conservative MP said the Island’s visitor economy was driven by businesses and workers rather than government intervention.
He added:
“The only thing we can’t control is the weather, but we can control everything else. The main driver for tourism on this island is business – small and medium sized – and the tens of thousands who work in and around tourism and hospitality who are the public face of the Isle of Wight.”
Mr Robertson also suggested that Labour’s devolution plans could leave future elected mayors searching for new sources of revenue.
He warned:
“I suspect the Mayor will get more and more powers to do things but without the money, and the Government will say: you go and get the money through the visitor levy.”
He concluded with a swipe at the Government’s economic policy, saying:
“I’m hoping Andy Burnham has a better solution by choosing a better Chancellor than the current one.”
Now lets see……. people aren’t coming here anymore, ferries are to expensive, attractions are expensive and rubbish, Sandown is now a tip, so lets kill tourism off be bringing in a levy, what a great idea. Typical council and liebour MP.
Tourism is being killed off, makes one wonder if that
is the plan.
If visitors are paying upwards of £1,500 a week to stay in an air bnb, sure that £1 pp a night would be affordable & help towards the costs of cleaning up after them eg beaches, dog bins, investing a bit more in IW & contributing towards all the extra costs that come along with a more than doubling of the population over summer months.
Its quite common in Europe/USA, & doesn’t put people off in my experience.
PS I am not a leftie, a politician or an ex councillor !
Businesses should take the coss on the chin if they
want ones business.
Well fancy a labourite wanting taxes.
And people still vote for them
They only gained power because people had enough
of the Tories.
I wouldn’t pay to come here on principal. Tourists are ripped off and pay enough already with the ferry costs and parking charges. And if the weather is bad there is no shopping scene for them so they either stay indoors or visit an expensive attraction. We should be encouraging them, not deterring them. People are skint.
I popped into a local park cafe a few days ago and
was shocked to see flat white coffees £4.80 each.
Scandalous, businesses are killing their own businesses
off due to being greedy, not to mention scandalous
ferry fares.
The end is Nigh
It’s happening all around the country.
It’s the new norm
Richard 2657 family’s on affordable housing waiting list on the island up from may last year Labour failing again but all you are interested in is taxing holiday makers so you can pay to house illegal immigrants….. what a joke.
Excuse me but those illegal immigrants will be the founding fathers of the New Islamic United Kingdom and staunch Liebore voters until they are in the majority, which should be in about 2075.
Squiggley doesn’t care – he won’t be here then!
I estimate by 2050 they breed fast.
I think you will find the list for housing needed urgently on The Island is98% resident Islanders or would like to be rather than a tent!!!!so remove your hate hat and get the real facts and thanks to a housing association starts with S ends in N and the word slum can be associated with it Islanders are living in pre-1970 asbestos hell holes which are now breaking down so all houses in this row are living with asbestos ,nothing to do with illegal immigrants just big fat local greed which is the most prevent things on this Island!!along with assumptions which Daily Fail readers thrive on saves them thinking
Many homes needs demolishing and re-building.
It is time the island built upwards, can house more
people that way.
Max 5 storeys high, job done.
My comment as mysteriously disappeared. Obviously you are not allowed to disagree with Liebore
Thank goodness half the island has MP Joe Robertson speaking for us.
We have been taxed to death. Literally.
I cannot afford to visit the Isle of Wight and I live here.
Do you realise that you have spelt squeaking with a “p”?
Me too, so many businesses are stinging locals.
Some pubs are charging £20 for fish and chips and
many seafront cafes £4 + for a coffee, £3 for a tea and
£3.50 for a magnum
I now buy from shops, much cheaper fcuk greedily local
businesses.
Hang on, the business owner says, the money would “clean the beaches all year round, gets the bins emptied, makes sure the roads and pavements are repaired”
doesn’t our council tax pay for that to be done anyway?!
Approx 30% of our Council tax monies goes towards
council employees pensions.
Unfortunately not, as the biggest slice of our CT is going a social care/services and benefits, on top of which central government each year are giving all council less back from central taxation to spend which in turn is forcing them to raise our CT to keep paying for the ever increacing costs to fund and provide the services.
It doesn’t help that this Liebour government are out to kill the exact thing they need, employers to grow, expand and open new business which will employ more people who in turn will pay tax, not the reverse we are seeing under this Liebour who are the masters of boom and bust as history has clearly shown.
What more can I add. We don’t appear to want “strangers” coming to our island. LOCAL ISLE FOR LOCAL PEOPLE. Roll out the mines and barbed wire along Ryde seafront.
Well what do you expect from a useless labour MP, looks like he’s following the party line and skint everyone.
I am sorry if this offends some people but
nobody should vote fir Quigley at the next election. Its very clear that he puts his Party before the interests of his constituents. A man like this is no good for Islanders