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.”
