Calls are growing for the Government to let Sadiq khan introduce a tourist tax in London – with a leading think tank arguing it could be just what the capital’s arts and culture scene needs.
In a new report recently published, Arts for All, the Centre for London says the city’s creative industries are in trouble. And while we’ve known this for a while, between 2010 and 2021, spending on arts and culture by local authorities across the UK dropped by half – and no doubt London is feeling the pressure ever since.
To help turn things around, the think tank is urging the Government to bring funding back to 2010 levels, launch a national Arts Pass for under-25s, and crucially, give City Hall the power to bring in a tourist levy.
The idea? A small extra charge added to hotel bills – like the ones already in place in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and other big European cities – that would go directly into supporting London’s arts and culture.
At a recent Mayor’s Question Time, Mayor Sadiq Khan voiced his support for the idea, saying most tourists “don’t really mind paying the extra few euros.” He went onto to promise to the hospitality sector that the money would go straight back into promoting London as a top destination.
The Government, however, isn’t on board just yet. A spokesperson said there are “no current plans” for a tourism tax in England, pointing instead to existing local schemes like Accommodation Business Improvement Districts.
Still, those behind the push aren’t giving up. At a launch event for the report at the Barbican on Thursday, Shonagh Manson, the assistant director of culture and creative industries at the GLA – said the idea has been years in the making.
“This is a really important conversation right now,” she said. “The idea is simple: visitors pay a little more, and that creates a pot of money that gets reinvested in the city. It’s already happening in other parts of the UK and around the world – but in London, we’d need a national law to make it happen properly.”
She added that while the mayor is pushing for that change as part of a broader devolution deal, it’s up to all supporters of London’s culture scene to help make the case.
The hope is that with enough support, the capital could have a new way to fund its world-famous creative sector – without asking Londoners to foot the bill.
