Visitor charges plan scrapped
Councillors decide against implementing a visitor levy after a close vote
Last updated 9th Jun 2026
Tourists will not be charged extra to stay overnight in Dumfries and Galloway — after councillors voted 10-8 today (Tuesday) to halt plans for a visitor levy.
Elected members were split over radical new plans to introduce a visitor levy to the region – which would be following in the footsteps of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen councils.
This would have seen tourists paying a flat visitor fee – on top of their accommodation prices – whenever staying in this region.
However, councillors voted 10-8 in favour of halting the visitor charges.
At Dumfries and Galloway Council’s economy and infrastructure committee on Wednesday, they were presented with two options: Option one – Stop all work at this point and not advance a scheme, or option two – advance to formally consult on a proposed visitor levy scheme and assess responses before deciding to implement a scheme or not.
Annandale South Councillor Sean Marshall was against the idea of any charges put forward a motion to go with option one, which was seconded by Castle Douglas and Crocketford Councillor Pauline Drysdale.
Councillor Marshall insisted this whole process has been a waste of council resources because there’s no desire from the industry for these charges.
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The Labour Group councillor said: “I think the evidence is quite clear. Our (Labour Group) opinion has not changed, and we should halt progress at this stage.
“When you look at some of the larger regions, with large tourism sector markets, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeenshire, then there will come a point when we can assess the impact on those areas.
“But the fact that Argyll and Bute, and Highlands, have decided not to go any further, I think we should follow the same route.”
Councillor Drysdale, of the Conservative Group, said: “I was brought up in the hospitality industry, and it’s an extremely challenging industry.
“This industry is incurring huge costs at the moment, and the last thing hoteliers and overnight accommodation providers need is extra administration that they will have to implement themselves.”
Council leader Stephen Thompson put forward an amendment for option two and moving forward with a public consultation on the visitor levy proposals, which was backed by his SNP group colleague Ben Dashper.
Councillor Thompson said: “We’ve got a visitor strategy, and a lot of concerns outwith this committee relate to the question, how do we afford to maintain the quality of the region to actually support the visitor sector, rather than a race to the bottom?’
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Council officers had recommended consultation on a pilot flat-rate scheme, which would apply different nightly charges depending on the type of accommodation, with the highest rate set at £3 per night for some accommodation types and lower rates for others.
Any income generated would have then been reinvested locally to support priority areas, including improving roads, paths, parks and public toilets, and supporting tourism businesses and events.
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