This Is The First City In The UK Charging Tourists An Extra 5% To Stay Overnight

If you're planning an international holiday, there is one extra travel expense you may have to start budgeting for. Over the last few years, countries like Japan, Thailand, Italy and France have introduced tourist taxes to help manage tourism and maintain popular attractions. Now, the trend has reached the UK too. Edinburgh has officially become the first city in the United Kingdom to introduce a city-wide tourist tax, implying that almost everyone staying overnight will have to pay a little extra.

The new charge comes into effect from July 24, 2026. It may not seem like a huge amount, but it marks a big change for travellers heading to Scotland's famous capital.

What Exactly Is The New Tourist Tax?

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It is officially called the Edinburgh Visitor Levy. Simply put, if you book paid overnight accommodation in Edinburgh, you'll now have to pay an extra 5% of your room cost. The good news is that the tax is calculated only on the accommodation price before VAT. It does not apply to extras like breakfast, meals, drinks, parking, spa treatments or transport.

There's another relief too. The levy only applies to the first five nights of your stay. So if you're spending a week or even two weeks in Edinburgh, you'll only pay the tax for the first five nights. Most importantly, overseas visitors, UK residents and Scottish residents are all treated the same under the new rules.

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The levy covers almost every type of overnight accommodation, including hotels, guest houses, hostels, holiday rentals, licensed Airbnb-style properties, campsites, and even boats that stay permanently in one location. Even smaller accommodation providers that don't charge VAT will still have to collect the visitor levy.

The Important Exception

Not everyone travelling after July 24, 2026, will automatically pay the tax. If your stay begins on or after July 24, 2026, but you booked and paid for it, either fully or partly, before October 1, 2025, you won't be charged the levy. Everyone else making bookings after that date should expect to see the extra charge added to their accommodation bill.

Why Has Edinburgh Introduced It?

Edinburgh welcomes millions of visitors every year. Tourists enjoy its castles, museums, festivals, parks, and public spaces. But maintaining all of this comes at a cost. The city believes visitors who benefit from these facilities should also help pay for their upkeep.

The levy has been introduced under Scotland's Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, which states that the money collected must be reinvested into facilities and services that visitors use. The city expects the tourist tax to raise between £45 million and £50 million every year by 2028-29.

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Around the world, governments are increasingly asking tourists to contribute towards maintaining the places they visit. Japan already has a departure tax. Italy charges tourists in many cities. France adds visitor taxes to hotel stays, while Thailand has also moved towards introducing tourism fees. Edinburgh is now part of that growing global list.