Islands council pauses plans for a visitor levy

Plans to develop a "tourist tax" for the Western Isles have been put on hold.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, along with other Scottish local authorities, were given powers to introduce a visitor levy on overnight accommodation in September.

But a report to councillors said a cost benefit analysis suggested it would have "marginal benefits", and could potentially harm the islands' tourism economy.

Officers said the pause would also allow time for a potential introduction of a "point-of-entry" levy, which could be charged at ports and airports.

Councillors were told that Orkney and Shetland island councils had adopted a similar policy to pause the introduction of their visitor levy schemes.

Tourism in the Western Isles has been growing, with more than 389,000 visitors in 2023 - up 21.8% from 2022 figures, according to a feasibility report prepared for the comhairle.

The report said accommodation was mostly provided by small-scale self-catering providers, with 1,246 businesses offering about 7,900 beds.

Meanwhile, South Ayrshire Council is set to abandon plans for a tourist tax in the region.

The local authority mooted the prospect of charging for overnight stays in a bid to boost its finances.

However, a public consultation into the plan was heavily negative, with only 15% of respondents supporting the proposal compared to 79% against.

Reporting by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth.