Travelling to Edinburgh? You now have to pay a visitor levy

Travellers to Edinburgh will now have to pay a tourist tax, starting Friday 24 July.

A 5% fee now applies to the cost of all paid overnight accommodation in Scotland’s capital.

Edinburgh is the first Scottish city to introduce such a scheme, and hopes to raise up to £50 million (€58 million) a year to invest in its worldwide appeal as a place to visit and live.

Edinburgh tourist tax comes into force

The visitor levy was formally agreed in January 2025, with councillors approving a proposal to charge guests at hotels, B&Bs, hostels and holiday rentals including Airbnbs.

The 5% fee has applied to all advance bookings made since 1 October 2025 for stays taking place on or after 24 July 2026.

The levy is capped at five nights in a row and charged at the same rate every day of the year.

“We know that the city’s popularity comes at a cost through the pressure it puts on our services and on the people who live and work here all year round,” says Council Leader Jane Meagher.

“This small new contribution from overnight visitors will help improve the services and public spaces we all depend on, while better managing the effects of tourism and major events.”

How will Edinburgh’s tourist tax benefit the city?

In February, councillors agreed the first full set of investment programmes using funding raised by the levy.

Worth more than £90 million (€105.3 million) over the next three years, the initial programmes fall under three themes: City Operations and Infrastructure; Culture, Heritage and Events; and Destination and Visitor Management.

Several ‘early win’ projects have already started, including a £132,000 (€154,400) contribution towards Edinburgh’s Festival Carnival and Mardi Gras events and partnering with Police Scotland to create a City Centre Policing Unit, increasing public safety in the city centre.

There are several more initiatives to be delivered in the next three years. This includes £1.3 million (€1.52 million) for additional operations services in the city centre like waste, cleansing and patrols, and £2 million (€2.34 million) and £2.5 million (€2.93 million) respectively towards transforming the city’s key coastal visitor attractions at Cramond foreshore and Portobello Promenade.

Parks will also be a key focus, with increases to repairs budgets, doubling the number of park rangers across the city, and additional investment in planting, such as floral gateways, to improve the look and feel of the city’s green spaces.

“From revitalised public spaces to better visitor infrastructure and experiences, we’re confident the levy can help Edinburgh stay welcoming, resilient and successful,” says Julie Ashworth, Chair of the Edinburgh Visitor Levy Advisory Forum.

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