Popular tourist city eyes new tax on overnight travelers to help boost local economy

London is weighing whether to instrumentality a caller tourer taxation targeting overnight guests.

Mayor Sadiq Khan is reportedly looking into charging overnight visitors a taxation connected stays astatine hotels and short-term rentals.

"The politician has been wide [about considering] a humble tourer levy, akin to different planetary cities," a spokesperson for the politician of London told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

DOG TAX SLAMMED AS 'SHORT-SIGHTED AND UNFAIR' AS TOURIST HOT SPOT AIMS FOR PUBLIC-AREA CLEANUP

The spokesperson added that specified a taxation "would boost [the] economy, present maturation and assistance cement London's estimation arsenic a planetary tourism and concern destination."

London remains a fashionable tourer attraction, drafting immoderate 21 cardinal visitors successful caller years — with astir 3.6 cardinal "overnight visits" coming from North America, according to the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics. 

The City of London is weighing whether to instrumentality a caller tourer taxation that would people overnight guests. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

The imaginable taxation stems from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which includes a clause permitting section leaders to "raise gross locally done a caller overnight visitant levy."

While determination has been nary authoritative declaration of the specifics, galore suggest the levy could beryllium 5% per night.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Andrew Carter, main enforcement of Centre for Cities, told Conde Nast Traveler that introducing a tourer taxation "is the commencement of a bigger [program] of devolving taxation and spending powers to the capital."

"London is the astir productive large metropolis in the U.K., and devolving much fiscal powers would springiness the superior much argumentation tools to accelerate maturation successful the economy," said Carter.

While determination has been nary authoritative declaration of the specifics, galore suggest the levy could beryllium 5% per night. (iStock)

London precocious launched a "Mind the Grab" run to pass pedestrians astir telephone snatches.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Bold purple chalk signs connected the borderline of immoderate sidewalks say, "Mind the Grab," and "Step backmost from the Kerb! Phone snatching blistery spot."

The latest quality comes arsenic European cities and different destinations person been grappling with overtourism.

London remains a fashionable tourer attraction, drafting immoderate 21 cardinal visitors successful caller years, with astir 3.6 cardinal "overnight visits" coming from North America. (Reuters/Henry Nicholls)

Greek officials, for example, are readying to enforce a $22 taxation connected visitors cruising to Santorini oregon Mykonos.

Aberdeen, Scotland, greenlighted a 7% visitant levy successful August to statesman connected April 1, 2027.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

The City of Edinburgh, Scotland, plans to complaint a 5% per nighttime taxation connected accommodations starting successful July 2026.

Norway besides introduced a tourer tax, allowing definite cities to present a 3% taxation connected overnight stays successful "areas peculiarly affected by tourism," arsenic Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

Venice, Italy, introduced a pilot program in 2024 to complaint day-trippers a $5.17 (5 euros) introduction fee. The metropolis is present now looking to treble the tax.