At any time of year, many a Londoner loves to take a break from the business of the city to the business of the seaside with a trip to Devon or Cornwall. Escaping further down south for a surf and sun tan is a no-brainer, but one day you may have to pay a tax for that privilege.
Malcolm Bell, who is the chief executive of Visit Cornwall, has hinted that a tax for tourists visiting Cornwall could be introduced, saying that it was something he could ‘certainly envision’ in the future. He also pointed out that their neighbour Devon should follow suit if the measure does come into place.
According to a report by the University Of Exeter, around five million people visit Cornwall alone every year, making it one of the UK’s most-visited places in the UK. Bell believes the idea of a tourist tax ‘could work’ but says that it shouldn’t be ‘rushed’ so as to ensure that the funds are correctly invested for a positive effect on the tourist industry.
He said: “We have observed how fast decisions are often very poor decisions. It is a time to have the debate, not rush into action, engage with people and look at the art of the possible.We must make sure it is not burdened with administrative costs and helps to manage the situation we are facing and improve it.
“It needs to be very carefully considered, and the decision should involve businesses and other partners, we are already talking to the Cornwall community foundation and National landscapes, south west coastal paths. But even if we end up avoiding the tourism tax, we should look at the rationale about why people are calling for one.”
Though the number of visitors for holidays is around 4-5 million each year, day visitor numbers are at around 12 million, and there are fears the sheer volume of people can have an impact on the community and the local environment. Malcolm Bell added that a tax could help protect the wildlife and enhance environmental services, and believes many holidaymakers would pay this tax if they saw the money was directly going to Cornwall and its community.
Visit Cornwall are looking towards Manchester as an example, which introduced a £1 tax per night for each room booked in the city since April 2023, although due to the differences to the accommodation, the exact same approach would not be applicable in Cornwall.
According to Bell, there has been no intention shown from Cornwall’s Council or the government to introduce the legislation as yet, but a small tax to visit the coast for a surf is certainly not one to be ruled out in the future.