Nottinghamshire Hotels Oppose Tourism Tax

0:00On March 31st, smaller hotels and Nottingham Shire are pushing back hard against a possible tourism tax on overnight stays. The labor mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, floated the idea of charging one pound or two pounds per night to fund better parking, buses, and attractions in Nottinghamshire and Derby Shire. This comes after the government gave England's mayors power to impose such levees ahead of the autumn 2025 budget. These visitor taxes are standard in places like Germany, Greece, and Spain, and UK spots like Edinburgh and Manchester already have them in place. In Nottinghamshire, the idea sparked a debate at a recent county council meeting where conservatives argued it would hurt sectors already under heavy, economic pressure. Hotel owners, especially those running family spots in the north, say they're barely hanging on with skyrocketing energy bills, higher costs, and customers tightening belts on spending. They're slashing prices on rooms, food, and events just to drop people in, but margins

1:02are shrinking fast, and a new tax could push some over the injury. Owners worry it would scare off visitors from growing tourism areas, unlike busier urban hubs. One guest house on Mansfield Road is even up for sale, with the owner calling the business aggrind and blaming falling bookings and vanishing little, perks like pillow chocolates. East Midlands officials promise any cash raise would loop back to benefit local spots through close work with county reps, but the tensions building. As businesses brace for what might come next in the budget talks.