London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 13, 2026

Manchester becomes first UK city to impose 'tourist tax'

Manchester becomes first UK city to impose 'tourist tax'

Manchester has become the first UK city to launch a "tourist tax" for visitors.

The City Visitor Charge will mean people face an extra £1 per room, per night, for their accommodation cost.

The money will be used to help to run large events, conferences, festivals, marketing campaigns and for street cleanliness.

Manchester City Council Chief Executive Joanne Roney said the "innovative initiative" would raise £3m a year to "enhance" visitors' experience.

It would create "new events and activities for them to enjoy", she said, adding that the money would be "invested directly into these activities, supporting Manchester's accommodation sector to protect and create jobs and benefiting the city's economy as a whole".

The money will be used for marketing campaigns, conferences, festivals and street cleanliness


The charge, aimed to help boost the tourist economy as the city recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, comes after accommodation providers voted to set up the Manchester Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID).

Some 73 hotels and serviced apartments signed up to the levy scheme which has been introduced ahead of a planned expansion of the hotel and holiday let sector in the city.

Annie Brown from Manchester ABID said the move would help create "a more sustainable and thriving sector, helping to bring visitors from around the world to experience the best of what Manchester and Salford have to offer".

She said the accommodation sector in and around Manchester was "growing rapidly, with almost 6,000 new bedrooms to be created over the next few years".

"The goal of the Manchester Accommodation BID is simple - we need to increase overnight stays in line with that growth so that hotels and serviced apartments in the city can continue to thrive," she said.

UK Hospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls warned that it was "essential funds are ringfenced for spend within the sector and not funding matters covered by general taxation".

She said hospitality businesses already paid a high level of tax, funding vital public services and tourism and while accommodation Business Improvement Districts "can have a role to fund local marketing and promotional activities" there must be "comprehensive local support and significant engagement with the business community before it is implemented".

"UK Hospitality has been consistent that levies that are punitive, deter visitors or are incorrectly targeted are ineffective and should be avoided at all costs," she added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Competition Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Family Seating Charges
Imperial College Study Links London Emissions Charges to Lower Hospital Admissions
Scottish First Minister Launches US Trade Initiative Ahead of World Cup Match in Boston
Fifteen Million Workers Gain Expanded Sick Pay Rights Under UK Reforms
British Retail Investors Secure Record Participation in SpaceX Share Offering
Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin Coordinate Response to Northern Ireland Violence
NHS Prepares for Major Disruption as Resident Doctors Announce Four-Day Strike
Bank of England Expected to Hold Rates as Energy Costs Complicate Inflation Outlook
Britain Moves to Ban Under-16s From High-Risk Social Media Platforms and AI Chatbots
UK Economy Contracts as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Growth
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute With Treasury
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis After Senior Cabinet Resignations
NHS Trust Secures Funding for AI Tool to Detect Heart Failure Earlier
Government Unveils £4.5 Billion Investment Plan for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Nationwide Reports UK House Prices Falling as Borrowing Costs Remain Elevated
Centre for Social Justice Says Two Million Britons Are Using Illegal Loan Sharks
UK Carmakers Warn EU Local Content Rules Could Damage British Manufacturing
UK Government Imposes Emergency Ban on Seven Potent Synthetic Opioids
Royal Navy Completes Major North Atlantic Anti-Submarine Exercise Off Norway
NHS Figures Show Nearly 3,000 Patients a Day Receiving Care in Hospital Corridors
CBI Cuts UK Growth Forecast as Middle East Tensions Drive Inflation Risks Higher
Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary Following Major Government Reshuffle
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
Office for National Statistics Adopts Supermarket Checkout Data for Inflation Measurement
Applied Atomics Launches With $500 Million Space Infrastructure Order Book
BYD Plans Nationwide Rollout of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Network
UK House Prices Unexpectedly Fall in May
CBI Warns UK Growth Is Becoming Increasingly Dependent on Public Spending
Makerfield By-Election Fuels Speculation Over Labour’s Future Leadership
Britain Declines to Join EU SAFE Defence Fund
UK Unveils 2040 Emissions Target Despite Strong Political Opposition
Government Orders Full Review of Palantir’s NHS Data Contract
UK Borrowing Costs Climb as Markets Price in Further Bank of England Rate Rises
Resident Doctors Confirm Five-Day NHS Strike Across England
Violent Anti-Immigrant Riots in Belfast Spark Political and Diplomatic Tensions
United Kingdom Sees Recovery in Horizon Europe Research Funding Share to 9.3 Percent
UK Inflation Holds at 2.8 Percent as Office for Budget Responsibility Flags Persistent Price Pressures
United Kingdom Launches National Anti-Fraud Framework to Combat Rising Pension Scam Losses
United Kingdom Expands Sanctions on Israeli Groups While Funding Palestinian Authority Salaries and Gaza Mine Clearance
United Kingdom Issues Three-Month Ultimatum to Major Technology Firms Over Child Online Safety Controls
United Kingdom Government Moves Toward Blanket Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
Widespread Anti-Immigration Rioting Erupts Across Belfast After Knife Attack Linked to Asylum Seeker
Farmers Warn of Crop Losses Following Months of Unseasonal Rainfall
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Regional Airport Operations
×