Could cruise liners and mobile homes be included in a visitor levy?

The question of which tourists — if any — should be charged an extra fee when they visit Orkney is on the mind of the county’s MSP.

Liam McArthur met with Scotland’s public finance minister, this Wednesday, to discuss proposals for the Visitor Levy Bill.

Mr McArthur previously lodged amendments to the bill, in an attempt to clear up whether any such charge would also be applied to cruise passengers and mobile homes.

In his meeting with Tom Arthur, he discussed ways in which this might be achieved.

At present, the Scottish Government’s Visitor Levy Bill would give councils the power to introduce a “tourist tax” on overnight stays within their local authority area. However, as drafted, the levy would only apply to fixed locations like B&Bs and hotels, and would not encompass visitors staying on cruise ships or in motorhomes.

“Whatever the merits of allowing local councils to introduce a visitor levy to raise funds for local services and infrastructure, it needs to be seen to apply fairly and consistently,” said Mr McArthur, after his meeting with the minister.

“People in Orkney will not be alone in wondering why visitors to our islands who stay in hotels, self-catering or B&Bs should be charged, but not the increasing numbers who visit Orkney on cruise ships or indeed in mobile homes. Each in their own way have an impact on those local services and infrastructure.

“I welcome the minister’s willingness to engage constructively with me on options for addressing the gap in the current bill. I recognise this is not straightforward to resolve but to gain public confidence and acceptance by the sector, any levy needs to be seen to be fair and reasonable.

“I look forward to seeing what the minister comes forward with ahead of the Stage 3 debate and votes.”