Scottish Tourist Tax and Motorhomes.

[Campervanannie]

It has been proposed by a council and a couple of pressure groups. None of whom have the power to impose any such thing .
Media has highlighted it but it really doesn't actually exist

Good because I love Scotland but I don’t want to be taxed for visiting

 

[Bear]

It has been proposed by a council and a couple of pressure groups. None of whom have the power to impose any such thing .
Media has highlighted it but it really doesn't actually exist

Indeed the "power" of social media at play possibly. Chinese whispers about abuse of a parking space were called out for false and founded on a couple of unhappy locals.
Sadly, here on the lil isle of wight , we have our own "visitor tax" that certainly is having a big detrimental affect on us called the robbing pirate ferry companies that hold us and them to ransom.

 

[runnach]

Good because I love Scotland but I don’t want to be taxed for visiting

Annie, we are taxed when you do visit

 

[nabsim]

Is it only me that remembers that if someone once said they taxed something it meant they had stolen it?

Funny how my mind works

 

[Campervanannie]

Annie, we are taxed when you do visit

Well I’ll be there on Thursday so brace yourselves.

 

[runnach]

Well I’ll be there on Thursday so brace yourselves.

If you are near my neck of the woods Annie, and require water, feel free to ask. Enjoy your visit.

 

[Campervanannie]

If you are near my neck of the woods Annie, and require water, feel free to ask. Enjoy your visit.

Edinburgh for a few days then going to Stonehaven meeting up with Derick and June( musketeer) at Stonehaven but thank you for your kind offer.

 

[Cie]

This is being promoted by the "Land Weeps" and "Dirty Truth" fb groups. The original suggestion from the authorities is to levy the visitor tax on accomodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs, and campsites. The aforementioned fb groups and their followers are pushing hard to make all visitors pay the levy. They are getting a lot of publicity from the media in Scotland.

The current proposal is to put a levy tax per head on anyone staying at an accommodation location be it hotel campsite, b&b etc.

I do see this an issue as an Aire owner who only charges £5 a night per van to encourage people to stay in a safe, legal, and insured location that’s open all year. We offer this as an affordable alternative to campsites with their higher costs and restrictions or a free park up location that may upset locals for a variety of reasons; be without owner’s permission; be against legislation (ie permitted planning/town & country/caravan acts); add to damage to habitat; or sadly by the few be misused with rubbish/waste left behind.

As currently proposed this will mean we will have to collect the levy for the council, making our Aire appear far more expensive to our visitors (while we still receive £5 a van) and counteracting the whole principal of the affordable Aire stopover as a basic alternative to a campsite. More motorhomers will choose the cheaper option of parking unofficially. This will most likely make Aires like ours completely financially unviable (we survive on a shoestring and large measure of our goodwill as it is) and encourage more people to park up off site which is ironically a key issue in the very busy tourist parts of Scotland such as the NC500 and Skye. I did ask some of the CAMpRA leadership if they would respond to the Scottish Government’s current levy proposal as I think it could be the end of much of the good work they have done in getting many small private Aires to open.

In this case the ‘land weeps’ and ‘dirty truth’ have a very valid point in that the levy as it stands would not be applied to anyone travelling in a motorhome/campervan unless they stayed on a campsite/CL/Aire. (Note the tax is not proposed to be levied on the hire of campers and motorhomes either). It just seem to penalise those motorhomers / campervanners already paying directly into the local communities by paying for accommodation as they would pay more, whilst those staying for free in unofficial parkups would still pay nothing. (Don’t think I’m judging these either as having toured Scotland for 7 months a few years back we used a complete mix of places to stay especially as it was over winter before the Aires started opening so places were more limited)

Scotland is such a beautiful place and tourist money coming into the local communities is much needed and appreciated, but there has been insufficient government money for the infrastructure, and marketing of routes like the NC500 has created extremely busy areas where in places roads are deteriorating and investment is needed.

Hopefully the government will find a fair and effective way to resolve this but I don’t hold out much hope.

 

[marchie]

Tourist taxes are being used increasingly to deter visitors (Barcelona & Venice probably the most famous). During COVID, the Scottish tourism sector was begging for support to survive and people responded appropriately

Perhaps it's time for us tourists to say 'Goodbye, not au revoir' and leave the Scottish Tourism industry to rely on Cruise Ships and flights to Edinburgh, with the attendant pollution, and the moaning communities in other parts of Scotland can get back to the occasional coach party for their income

France and Spain (outwith Barcelona) await, with better weather, lower prices and a welcome

Steve

 

[Burge]

The current proposal is to put a levy tax per head on anyone staying at an accommodation location be it hotel campsite, b&b etc.

I do see this an issue as an Aire owner who only charges £5 a night per van to encourage people to stay in a safe, legal, and insured location that’s open all year. We offer this as an affordable alternative to campsites with their higher costs and restrictions or a free park up location that may upset locals for a variety of reasons; be without owner’s permission; be against legislation (ie permitted planning/town & country/caravan acts); add to damage to habitat; or sadly by the few be misused with rubbish/waste left behind.

As currently proposed this will mean we will have to collect the levy for the council, making our Aire appear far more expensive to our visitors (while we still receive £5 a van) and counteracting the whole principal of the affordable Aire stopover as a basic alternative to a campsite. More motorhomers will choose the cheaper option of parking unofficially. This will most likely make Aires like ours completely financially unviable (we survive on a shoestring and large measure of our goodwill as it is) and encourage more people to park up off site which is ironically a key issue in the very busy tourist parts of Scotland such as the NC500 and Skye. I did ask some of the CAMpRA leadership if they would respond to the Scottish Government’s current levy proposal as I think it could be the end of much of the good work they have done in getting many small private Aires to open.

In this case the ‘land weeps’ and ‘dirty truth’ have a very valid point in that the levy as it stands would not be applied to anyone travelling in a motorhome/campervan unless they stayed on a campsite/CL/Aire. (Note the tax is not proposed to be levied on the hire of campers and motorhomes either). It just seem to penalise those motorhomers / campervanners already paying directly into the local communities by paying for accommodation as they would pay more, whilst those staying for free in unofficial parkups would still pay nothing. (Don’t think I’m judging these either as having toured Scotland for 7 months a few years back we used a complete mix of places to stay especially as it was over winter before the Aires started opening so places were more limited)

Scotland is such a beautiful place and tourist money coming into the local communities is much needed and appreciated, but there has been insufficient government money for the infrastructure, and marketing of routes like the NC500 has created extremely busy areas where in places roads are deteriorating and investment is needed.

Hopefully the government will find a fair and effective way to resolve this but I don’t hold out much hope.

Well said ....& Hats off to you for supplying a super service to honest Campers

 

[Wrighpm]

Last year I went via a friends yacht to visit a friend on Scalpay in the Hebrides. My friend was a 5th generation islander and a lifeboatman. I asked him what his opinion was with regards visiting the islands by motorhome as I had perceived I would not be welcome. He said that there is indeed a small but vocal minority that were making it sound like a real issue. However he said that these individuals were mostly INCOMERS and not originally islanders who felt they could speak for everyone. Often motivated by not wanting to share what they had discovered. He said MH were very welcome if they follow the clear guidance available and know how to drive on single track roads LOL.

 

[Bear]

[ He said that there is indeed a small but vocal minority that were making it sound like a real issue. However he said that these individuals were mostly INCOMERS and not originally islanders who felt they could speak for everyone.]

Yup we have the self same problem on our lil island. NIMBYS that don't want things to change and don't think aboit the future for the growing generation.