Visitor Levy Feasibility
It is not mandatory for the Council to introduce a visitor levy. However, with growing tourism pressures and shrinking public sector budgets, the Council must investigate options that could help to support services and infrastructure that both residents and visitors enjoy.
A visitor levy could provide the means of increasing the value of tourism for the benefit of all, enabling a more sustainable approach to the local visitor economy.
Prior to making any commitment on the development and/or introduction of a local visitor levy, Shetland Islands Council is entering into a period of preliminary feasibility investigations, in partnership with Orkney Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. This process will commence in January 2025 and will have two aspects to it:
- A formal engagement process with local communities, tourism businesses and organisations and other stakeholders, to gather views and insight into potential impacts and to help shape the design of a future scheme, if progressed;
- A cost-benefit analysis exercise to measure the benefits of a scheme versus the associated costs.
The findings of the feasibility investigations will then be presented to Councillors to inform a decision on whether to follow other councils in introducing a visitor levy.