‘All options’ still open to fund Capital promotion
City council officials are looking into the feasibility of introducing a “bed tax” – where hotel guests would pay an extra £1 or £2 on top of their room rate to help the city grow – after councillors agreed with the idea in principle.
But a “city-wide business improvement district”, where firms with a rateable value of more than £50,000 would pay an extra levy on top of their business rates to fund the work of Marketing Edinburgh, is also being discussed.
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Hide AdMarketing Edinburgh chief executive Lucy Bird said: “We’re exploring all potential funding streams, alongside consulting on our priorities. We haven’t ruled anything in or out.”
Hoteliers, who are against a bed tax, are willing to support a city-wide BID, and Edinburgh Airport has also backed the scheme.