Tourism tax will put York at a disadvantage (From York Press)

Tourism tax will put York at a disadvantage

11:56am Saturday 11th February 2012 in Letters By Readers' letters

REGARDING the reference Trudi Visser makes, in her letter about Kersten England’s declined pay-rise and the tourism tax or bed tax (Letters, February 8), I would have no hesitation in imposing this tax on tourists if the UK Government was to take another leaf out of the French Government’s book and reduce VAT for tourism businesses to five per cent.

Ms Visser may also wish to reconsider her perception of “extra costs” incurred by York ratepayers because of tourists, against the income generated by them, namely £433 million per annum and 23,000 jobs.

The Press comment makes a very valid point. It will diminish the competitiveness of York when compared against its rivals – not in Europe but here in the UK. And the cost of administering and collecting a £1 tax would far outweigh the income, especially if it required another overpaid public-sector employee to handle it.

And why has the Fairness Commission discriminated against tourist-visitors who stay over? They contribute significantly more to the city coffers than the thousands of day-trippers who, pro rata, use more of the facilities and contribute less.

This tax is not the remedy for a cash-strapped council. Think again, please.

David Brooks, General manager, Best Western Plus Dean Court Hotel, York.

• IT NEVER ceases to amaze me how governments and councils come up with different ways to extract money from the general public.

Whether the suggested £1 per night extra charge for visitors is a good idea is for others to argue over.

What caught my eye was the suggested name for it: York Visitor Heritage Contribution. Brilliant! It is by far the best euphemism I have heard for the word tax.

A tax dressed up in fine words is still a tax. What’s the next scheme to part visitors from their money? May I suggest council officials dress up as Dick Turpin at each entrance to the city? It seems appropriate.

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington.

• I SINCERELY hope City of York Council scrap its idea of a tourist tax. The council has to make savings of £19.7 million over the next two years as part of the Government’s cutbacks, but clobbering one of York’s most successful industries is not the way.

Tourism employs something like 23,000 people and contributes positively to the local economy. Why adopt a negative tax? If the council is serious about saving money, there are several other options:

• Do not have so many councillors

• Reduce the amount paid just for attending meetings

• Stop translation help for non-English speakers

• Do not attempt to re-introduce weekly bin collections

• Forget attempts to comply with the “Fairness Commission”

• Stop narrowing and closing-off roads

• Keep the new council HQ under budget

• Stop creating “go nowhere” cycle lanes

• Encourage the Archbishop to support tourism.

David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

• I HOPE to to be travelling (the big freeze here and their frozen canals permitting) to Venice on February 20. They have a tourist tax; it only started last August.

I’m not over the moon, but it won’t stop me going.

Here are some of the key facts from its explanation on its Venice Connected website:

• With a small sum of money even you will become one of the city’s sponsors, contributing to safeguarding it

• The collected funds will help the city improve the quality of the tourist services (transport, museums, events) and finance works aimed at maintaining, using and salvaging the city’s cultural and architectural heritage

• It will be levied on the first five consecutive nights of any overnight stay. Tariffs will vary according to season.

Children aged between ten and 16 will pay half the tax, whereas those under ten will not be charged at all I don’t know how much it will be, but I’m willing to bet it will be more than just over one euro a day (the rate for York).

Tourists bring revenue, but also increase wear and tear of our infrastructure and we have the job of safeguarding the heritage they come to see. Makes sense to me.

Dorothy Nicholson, Grange Garth, York.