Issue - meetings

(a)      note the Visitor Levy Bill has become law as the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 having received Royal Assent on 5 July 2024;

(b)      note the various stages including the outline proposal, consultation, and public report that local authorities are required to engage in prior to a decision on whether to proceed;

(c)      note the absolute earliest a VL scheme can come into effect is Spring 2026, with a proposed timeline that Aberdeen could introduce a visitor levy in paragraph 3.9;

(d)      note the estimated costs and revenues of implementing a Visitor Levy scheme in Aberdeen and the benefits for both city residents and tourists; and

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer - City Development and Regeneration to develop the Visitor Levy scheme proposal with key stakeholders and report back to Finance and Resource Committee in Autumn 2024 with plans for wider consultation.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of City Regeneration and Environment which provided an overview of the recently passed Visitor Levy Bill that allowed Local Authorities in Scotland to charge a fee or tax on overnight stays, described the various activities that Aberdeen City Council would have to carry out to introduce a visitor levy and outlined the costs and benefits of doing so.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the Visitor Levy Bill has become law as the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 having received Royal Assent on 5 July 2024;

(b)      note the various stages including the outline proposal, consultation, and public report that local authorities are required to engage in prior to a decision on whether to proceed;

(c)      note the absolute earliest a VL scheme can come into effect is Spring 2026, with a proposed timeline that Aberdeen could introduce a visitor levy in paragraph 3.9 (of the report);

(d)      note the estimated costs and revenues of implementing a Visitor Levy scheme in Aberdeen and the benefits for both city residents and tourists; and

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer - City Development and Regeneration to develop the Visitor Levy scheme proposal with key stakeholders and report back to Finance and Resource Committee in Autumn 2024 with plans for wider consultation.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.