Manchester, England, will start charging tourist tax in early April
This is a measure already used internationally and in Portugal. Accommodation in the city center will be provided.
It is the third most visited city in England.
Tourist taxes are already implemented in places like Thailand or Venice. In Portugal this has already happened, for example, in Óbidos or Berlengas. Now, there’s one more city that will start charging all overnighters. Manchester is the first UK city to charge this fee.
The measure was officially announced on Tuesday, March 28, and will take effect from April 1 and will apply to anyone who spends a night in an apartment, hotel or guest house in the city center. It costs one pound, which is about €1.14.
The amount collected will be invested in the culture and tourism of the region, i.e. in the organization of events and festivals. A portion of this fund will be used to keep the streets clean. In 2022, 80 percent of hotel managers were in favor of the move, showing that fears of the move driving away tourists are almost nonexistent.
Manchester is the third most visited city in the UK after London and Edinburgh. Annually, it receives about one million foreign visitors. Tourism earns the city 7.5 billion pounds (or 8.5 billion euros) a year.
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