Preseli Pembrokeshire MP and Chairmen of the Welsh Affairs committee, Stephen Crabb, criticized the Welsh Government’s proposed “tourism tax” during a session of questions to the Treasury Minister in the Commons yesterday (20th June).
The Labour-led Welsh Government has put forward plans to introduce a discretionary visitor levy which would mean that local authorities could impose a charge on tourists staying overnight in accommodation such as hotels, Airbnbs and bed and breakfasts.
The proposed new tax has been met with fierce opposition from the tourism industry.
During the debate Stephen Crabb said, such a levy would be the “very last thing” businesses need at this current time.
The Preseli MP said, “a great many“ of the “new job opportunities and careers paths” being created in Pembrokeshire are being created in the tourism and hospitality sector.
He added, “ The very last thing that business people who are creating those growth opportunities need right now is a tourism tax of the kind being brought forward by the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff that will hit these businesses with new burdens and raise the cost of going on holiday in Wales.”
The new “ tourism tax” is being opposed by the Wales Tourism Alliance and Welsh Conservatives Senedd Members in Cardiff Bay.
Visit Pembrokeshire, the Destination Management Organisation, based in Pembrokeshire, and is made up of tourism members operating within Mr Crabb’s constituency said it was "very disappointed" at the Welsh Government announcement.
"It's disheartening to hear that the strong opposition from the trade across Wales has not been listened to," said Emma Thornton, its Chief Executive who spoke out in a BBC article earlier this year.
The Welsh Government has previously said that the levy would be for each council to control and they would choose whether or not to introduce the charge "according to the needs of their communities".
The Welsh Government said it received more than 1,000 responses to the public consultation about how best to implement a tax, which closed last December.
It found support across most local authorities and across other organisations, however, it also said many responses came from representatives of the tourism industry and many disagreed with the principle of a visitor tax.
