Industry backs Caterer campaign on unfair tax
Caterer and Hotelkeeper has teamed up with the British Hospitality Association, the Tourism Alliance and Travelodge in a campaign to
Say No to Bed Tax.
Gordon Brown and John Prescott may be tempted to raise local taxes by adding to visitors' room bills, but we believe a bed tax would have a disastrous impact on local communities and the British tourism industry. Now we want you to sign up to our campaign to stop this outrageous tax in its tracks.
Not only would a bed tax deter foreign visitors and reinforce Britain's image as an expensive destination, it would discourage British holiday-makers from holidaying at home.
As well as hitting hotels, it would also harm local pubs, restaurants, B&Bs and visitor attractions, which rely on visitors staying overnight in their local area.
For these reasons, we want everyone in the hospitality industry to register their support for our campaign to Say No To Bed Tax.
We'll collect all the letters of support and deliver them to Sir Michael Lyons, the man considering allowing local authorities to levy a bed tax.
Don't leave him in doubt about how the industry feels on this issue… fill in our petition and we'll make sure your voice heard.
What is a bed tax? It is a local authority tax added to the price of a hotel room. Sir Michael Lyons is considering including a bed tax in his review of local government funding. The tax rate per hotel room will be set by individual local authorities. It is likely to range between 5% and 10% per room per night. Lyons will report in May whether he is still considering bed tax, before he drafts his final proposals by Christmas this year.