Local politicians have hosted a roundtable of Dumfriesshire hospitality operators and national and local trade bodies to discuss the impact of the proposed visitor levy.
The meeting was hosted by Craig Hoy MSP, David Mundell MP and Oliver Mundell MSP and comes as Dumfries and Galloway Council consults on plans to impose a charge on accommodation, including hotels, bed and breakfasts and camp sites.
The meeting was attended by local hoteliers, holiday cottage businesses and bed and breakfast owners along with representatives of bodies including the Scottish Hospitality Group, UK Hospitality Scotland and the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.
Participants in the online meeting stressed their opposition to the plans, saying that the consultation should be paused immediately until the Scottish Government clarifies specific concerns and deals with issues about a cumulative burden to operators.
Mr Hoy, the Scottish Conservative candidate for Dumfriesshire in the Holyrood 2026 election, said: “It was clear from today’s meeting that the hospitality industry is firmly against this damaging tourist tax. Operators are working hard to attract visitors, but this accommodation tax goes directly against that aim. Dumfries and Galloway Council must pause the consultation, and the SNP Government must start listening to the industry. The council needs to make it clear what work it has done to assess the impact this accommodation tax will have on the local economy.”
Mr David Mundell said: “Operators have repeatedly said over-tourism is not a problem in the Dumfries and Galloway region. All the business owners and trade bodies who attended our meeting made that point very clearly. We want to make people visit the South of Scotland, not drive them away. Tourists shouldn’t be penalised for choosing to come and visit Dumfries and Galloway and following our meeting, the council must listen to businesses and stop this consultation.”
Craig Hoy added: The SNP has made it hard enough to run a business in Scotland without a punitive accommodation tax. Domestic visitors will also be subject to the levy. As a very price-sensitive market, this will affect many struggling businesses and have a wider impact on the hospitality and leisure industry. Scotland should be an easy and rewarding place to open a business, particularly in the hospitality sector, so it's time the SNP started taking responsibility for their actions and dropped this harmful tax.”
Mr Hoy has written to SNP Council Leader Cllr Stephen Thompson, setting out his opposition to the levy proposals.
