Falkirk Council, plan to introduce a tourist tax that could increase 1 million sterling pounds

The Falkirk Council plans to introduce a tourist tax in the hope that it will bring back more than a million pounds of income each year.

A report to the Director of the Council next week suggests adding a 5% visitors to tourist accommodation, which would help pay the services that tourists are likely to use.

According to the report, Falkirk now attracts more than 800,000 unique visitors, more than 500,000 of which remain in accommodation overnight in the region, contributing to an economy of visitors which is now worth 150 million pounds sterling.

The main attractions of visitors include Kelpies, which attract 850,000 visitors per year and the Falkirk wheel, which obtains 500,000 visits per year, although the number of visitors continues to grow, and the kelpies aim to obtain a million visits per year by 2028.

With the newly open Rosebank distillery in Falkirk, as well as plans for a new town hall with theater and an art park of 3 million pounds sterling which is developed by the local growth agreement, the Council estimates that the economy of Visitors to the region will continue to grow.

Last year, Visitor Levy Act gave the local Scottish authorities the power to apply costs to those who stay in paid housing in their region.

This would be collected at the point of sale by companies and transmitted to the Council to spend projects which will all be linked to tourism and the economy of visitors.

But the newspaper stresses that a large part of the expenses will also benefit local populations.

Projects could include: street cleaning and trash management in places considerably used by visitors; Maintenance and management of parks; increased to the accessible toilets; City dressing and festive lighting; and events and cultural programming.

The officers hope that the new town hall and the theater currently planned for Falkirk will be able to benefit from the tax.

Four local authorities in Scotland said they would implement the sample – Edinburgh, Stirling, Highland and Argyll & Bute, while Glasgow also seeks to introduce a tourist tax – and the heads of the Falkirk council closely follow their progress.

Currently, they all offer a 10% levy and it is likely that the Falkirk council would follow suit if they choose to introduce a levy.

The consultants commissioned by the Council estimated that a direct debit could generate income between 000,000 and £ 1,500,000 before costs (such as configuration and recovery costs).

However, the report warns that this estimate of the direct debit funds would need a more in -depth investigation and a more in -depth analysis if the council continues the program.

During the meeting next Thursday, advisers will be invited to agree that agents can develop a program to take over visitors and a consultation program.

The process will take at least two years, because an 18 -month notice period is required.

If they are agreed, an update report requesting a final decision on a direct debit of visitors would be brought back to the executive of the council in 2026/27.

The Falkirk Council will examine the question at a meeting of its executive on Thursday, January 14 at 10 a.m. at Gogemouth Community Education Unit, Abbots Road, Grangemouth. The meeting will also be in difficulty on the YouTube channel of Falkirk Council.