Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of -on-Sea Southend City Council has responded to ongoing discussions around regional mayors' proposals for a visitor levy/tourist tax.
“I would support the principle of a modest visitor levy, provided the money raised in Southend stays in Southend and any scheme is developed with the support of our local tourism and hospitality businesses.
“Millions of people visit our city every year, bringing huge benefits but also significant costs for our seafront and infrastructure. An overnight levy wouldn't cover all of those pressures, but it could make a useful contribution if done correctly."
We need to recognise that cities like Southend have huge infrastructure pressures during our high tourism season, and our annual overnight stays, even if levied, will not cover those costs.
Therefore, the Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council is in favour of the principle of raising additional income through modest levies, as found in most countries these days. However, the income needs to be locally focused and influenced, with any such fees set in consultation with local hoteliers.
This is something that we want to discuss further through the Southend Tourism Partnership to gauge their views and how we make this work for Southend.