ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ

We will be providing you with weekly updates to keep you informed about the visitor levy consultation process. You can find these below. (latest update 31 January 2025).

31 January 2025

A visitor levy involves everyone, so we're hosting a series of drop-in information events and online webinars to help people in ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute find out more and get involved in assessing one for the area.

The online webinars will last one hour. To attend these events you will need to book a space in advance. Booking for the online webinars will open on Monday 10 February. Links to book tickets for these will be available on the council website. There will be no requirement to book for the drop-in events.

The events will take place as follows (in order of date): 

• Monday 10 February – OBAN – Corran Halls - 4pm-7pm.
• Friday 21 February – MULL â€“ Craignure Village Hall - 3pm-6pm.
• Monday 24 February – ONLINE WEBINAR – 5.30pm-6.30pm.
• Wednesday 5 March – ISLAY – Islay Gaelic Centre - 3pm-6pm.
• Thursday 6 March – ONLINE WEBINAR – 10am-11am.
• Monday 10 March – ROTHESAY – Rothesay Academy - 4.30pm-7pm.
• Monday 17 March – CAMPBELTOWN – Kintyre Community Centre - 4pm-7pm.
• Thursday 20 March – HELENSBURGH – Victoria Halls - 4pm-7pm.
• Monday 24 March – INVERARAY – Inveraray Inn - 4pm-7pm.
• Tuesday 25 March – ONLINE WEBINAR – 5.30pm-6.30pm.
• Friday 28 March – DUNOON – Queen’s Hall - 4pm-7pm.
• Thursday 3 April – ONLINE WEBINAR – 9am-10am.

23 January 2025

• One of the questions we've been asked is why are we putting this to consultation? 

  Councils and communities across Scotland are considering a visitor levy for their area and we want you to have the same chance to consider one for here. ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute attracts 2.7 million visitors each year – that’s 30 times the number of people who live here. Visitors use many of the same services as residents, such as roads, car parks, public toilets, waste, public transport and events services. Council funding for services is 80% government funding and 20% council tax. Even with increased council tax, councils have less to spend on public services, for example, because of more costs and demands.

  A visitor levy would add to government funding, and council tax from residents, for ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute. It would be spent on services and infrastructure needed by visitors. Many of these are shared with residents and not a duty of a council to deliver. Please find out why it matters to you and take the chance to give your views in our visitor levy consultation by 10 April 2025. We need your feedback to ensure the best decisions for our community. Thank you.

• We have also been asked what is the process after the consultation closes on 10 April.

  The formal public consultation will close on Thursday 10 April 2025. After this time we will analyse the results and publish a consultation report. IF a Visitor Levy Scheme is introduced across ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute there will be an 18-month implementation period with operational guidance and support to accommodation providers, with input and advice from a Visitor Levy Forum. The earliest a Visitor Levy Scheme could be introduced to ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute is early 2027.

• Public events

  We are finalising the details of a series of public drop-in events and online sessions, and we will announce more information about these next week.

   

Find out more about the visitor levy and take part in the consultation on our webpage.