A pound extra to stay overnight in a York hotel doesn’t sound that much, but how does the council justify taxing tourists for visiting a city that is utterly dependent on tourism for its economical survival?

It’s basic economics: you attract visitors by offering competitive rates, not by doing everything you can to raid them.

The amount is irrelevant though, it’s the message you send out.

Suggesting guests should pay extra because some are liable to vomiting and then passing out on the high street at 2am hardly constitutes a warm welcome.

We might as well be asking Mexicans to donate towards maintaining the Bar Walls.

And I think we all know if this were to become a binding charge, the temptation for future councils to hike the price would be overwhelming.

If councillors feel they need more money to deal with the rise in trouble caused by the binge drinking culture that’s taken hold of our city centre, perhaps they should ask themselves who’s responsible for granting the late hour licenses to pubs and clubs in the first place?

If they must introduce a tax for improving the city’s image, then tax the businesses who cater for stag and hen parties directly and use the proceeds to take a wrecking ball to that shipping container scrapyard in Piccadilly.

Dr Scott Marmion, Woodthorpe,

York

Why should tourists pay for hooligans?

Why, oh why should the peaceful and law abiding tourist be punished with an additional tax to pay for tackling the antisocial behaviour of the hooligans?

Fine the hooligans heavily and add this to your coffers if you so wish but not another tax. Who in their right mind would agree to pay this tax if it was only voluntary? I know I wouldn’t.

This city is lucky to get so many tourists to supplement the local taxes and so I say to councillors do not drive them away. You need them.

L J Steels,

Tadcaster