Cornwall and Devon tourist tax: Holidaymakers could face charge as tourism boss says it's 'time to have the debate'

UK holidaymakers have been warned as the popular seaside resorts of Cornwall and Devon could bring in a tax on tourists in the near future. The Cornwall tourism chief warned that he could “certainly envision” a tax on tourists and voiced his support for a “Cornish tax” to profit from the amount of tourists visiting the holiday hotspot. 

Malcolm Bell, the chief executive of Visit Cornwall, added that if Cornwall introduced a tax, then it should be applied alongside neighbouring Devon to avoid forcing tourists away from Cornwall. He said: "There is no point in Devon not having one and us having one."

More than four million people visit Cornwall for a holiday every year, while an extra 12 million make day visits, according to a local committee report. He told local outlet Cornwall Live: “It is a time to have the debate, not rush into action, engage with people and look at the art of the possible.”

He said that if the tax is introduced it must be used to directly fund local business instead of going back to the Treasury as per normal taxes. He believes that tourists would be happy to pay the tax if they knew that the money would go back into the local economy.

He said: “We have 85 per cent repeat business in Cornwall – holidaymakers who regularly return would want the levy to help Cornwall and its residents. If holidaymakers want to contribute, if they think it’s going to the right cause, I wouldn’t mind.”

“People are cynical and want reassurance that their extra payment is going towards something appropriate. But if it is just another levy added onto VAT and taxes? That is probably not what people want to see.”

Cornwall Council has launched a councillor-led inquiry aimed at improving the year-round benefits of tourism. Some of the ideas put forward at a council meeting in January included bringing in a registration scheme for short-term Airbnb-style holiday lets. Councillor Mike Thomas also raised the idea of a tourist tax, arguing that this option should be taken more seriously.