Tourism: Overnight Visitor Levy

Earl of Clancarty Excerpts

Thursday 17th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Clancarty (CB)]

My Lords, further to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Addington, a key proposal of the Cultural Policy Unit is a city tourism charge that would be ring-fenced for cultural infrastructure, including theatres, museums and heritage sites, which would in a cyclic way help the hospitality sector through encouraging tourism and redressing regional inequalities. However, that will not happen if this charge is squandered in other ways.

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

There is no intention for the funds raised to be squandered, but a ring-fenced approach smacks of centralism. It is critical that local areas can determine their needs. I come from an area that has benefited enormously from investment in cultural and sporting events that have brought huge benefits, not least round-the-clock coverage from an aerial perspective of the beautiful sights of Yorkshire, for example. There are so many ways that this can be done. We are not ring-fencing because it would not be in the spirit of devolution, but we are very mindful of the comments that the noble Earl has made.