Liverpool hotels and accommodation providers will take part in a ballot this month to decide whether visitors to the city should pay a £2 a night tourist levy. Tony McDonough reports
A £2 a night levy on visitors to Liverpool could help the city support and fund larger events – so say supporters of the initiative which is set to go to a vote.
Later this month hotels and serviced accommodation providers in the city centre will take part in a ballot to decide whether to introduce the levy. The ballot, organised by Liverpool’s Accommodation BID, could raise £6m a year towards major events.
Liverpool is already a popular overnight destination for both domestic and overseas visits. Champions League fixtures are a big draw and the 2023 staging of Eurovision raised the city’s profile even further.
This ballot will open for votes on Thursday, March 27, with the results announced on Thursday, April 24. If the vote goes in favour of the levy then it will come into force on June 1 and last until 2027.
Annie Brown, general manager at the Municipal Spa Hotel in Liverpool, is supportive of the levy. She has also worked in Manchester on the visitor levy as chair of Manchester Accommodation BID.
“All UK cities need additional support as funding has changed. It is in the interest of the private sector in the city to both support and develop how we do things in the city centre,” said Annie.
“When we look at other cities there has been concern about a visitor levy detracting from investment but in reality that hasn’t happened. It’s a small gesture for tourists to pay and it really helps the city to promote itself.
“In Manchester we learned how successful it is to work collaboratively and to work with one aim”.
Another supporter is Helen Roberts, dual general manager at Holiday Inn Express for Liverpool and Manchester. She explained: “There’s a lot that the BID does already in terms of improving the public realm, security and major events.
“But Liverpool needs this to help it to thrive. Liverpool isn’t the biggest city but it does need to compete on an international stage.
“We have the same model in Manchester and there has been little or no reaction from guests. The majority are used to it from their visits to European cities so there has been no negativity”.
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Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, also said: “Major exhibitions and events, such as The Terracotta Warriors, can attract a huge audience, generating income both for the visitor economy, the tourism industry and hospitality.
“What we would love, as both a city and a private sector, is to be able to support so that we can hold events like this much more regularly. The investment we are proposing could really turbo-charge the city’s economy.”