Travelers in Manchester on their itinerary will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets in the near future. In addition to costs for travel or accommodation, the city in England is demanding additional taxes from the beginning of April to help expand the tourism sector.
Additional Revenue for the Preservation of the City
Manchester is demanding additional costs from tourists. It is the first city in the UK to introduce a tourist tax. Since April 1, 2023, visitors must pay the City Visitor Charge. Guests have to pay an additional one pound per room per night, which is equivalent to about 1.14 EUR. The city hopes this will generate an additional three million euros in revenue annually.
A spokeswoman for the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) explains that the money is to be put into expanding the tourism sector. It will be used to maintain tourist attractions and events and will be used to ensure the cleanliness of the city. The cityscape thus becomes more attractive.
In addition, the money from the tourist tax should help the city to boost the economy in the tourist sector. 6,000 more hotel rooms are to be built so that the city can receive even more tourists. The spokeswoman of the ABID explains the reason for the tourist tax with the purposes and justifies the amount.
Compared to other European cities, the tax is low. Manchester is not the first city in the world to introduce a tourist tax. Other destinations have succeeded in introducing the tourist tax and many also plan to make travelers pay extra. Compared to other destinations, Manchester is in the middle with the price, but differs in that the tax depends on the length of stay.