Manchester to bring in 'tourist tax' for visitors

Manchester is to introduce a "tourist tax" for people making overnight stays in the city.

Some 74 hotels and guesthouses have signed up to the scheme, which will see people pay an extra £1 per night.

It comes after accommodation providers voted to set up a body called Manchester Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID).

The idea is to help boost the tourist economy as the city recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.

Before the Covid lockdowns began Manchester was the third most visited city for international tourists in the UK.

Global and domestic tourism contributed £9bn to the local economy in 2019 and supported more than 100,000 jobs, according to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The ABID will officially come into operation on 1 April.

A spokesman said it was "a direct response to significant challenges including recovery from the pandemic and the impact that Brexit has had on the hospitality sector".

He said the funds will be used for marketing the city as a destination, drawing in more large-scale events such as conferences and festivals during the off-season, helping to keep the streets clean around hotels and "improving guest welcome".

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said Manchester faced "an unusual challenge" amid a "dramatic addition" of new accommodation being built in the city.

The additional rooms will need one million new overnight stays in the city in the next few years, she said.

"It is refreshing, then, to see accommodation businesses in Manchester working together to lead an innovative solution," she added.

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said "exciting times" lay ahead for the city.

She added: "We believe that targeted investment through the Manchester ABID will help support the accommodation sector, which plays such a vital role in supporting jobs in our city and adding to its overall vibrancy."

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