Wishart highlights cruise ship exclusion from Visitor Levy Bill

Shetland’s MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat, Beatrice Wishart, has highlighted the absence of cruise ships in the Scottish Government’s Visitor Levy Bill in a speech during the first stage of the bill’s passage through the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Government is proposing a Visitor Levy to give local authorities the ability to implement a charge on tourists for their visit.

Wishart outlined that her party would offer conditional support for this bill at this stage but substantial changes would be needed in order for the party’s support to pass the bill.

Wishart highlighted the inequality of the proposal whereby staying in a hotel or B&B would be covered by the policy while cruise ships would not.

Up to the end of September last year 123,902 cruise ship visitors arrived at Lerwick, compared to 58,450 the previous year.

After the debate Ms Wishart said:

“Across Scotland there are varying levels of desire for such a visitor levy. Areas such as Edinburgh have voiced greater support than here in Shetland and I welcome the option for local authorities to choose whether to implement such a policy or not.

“As a Scotland-wide policy it must accept the needs of local areas and reflect local community concerns. In some places the volume of cruise ship visitors can have a larger impact on local services than visitors staying in hotels or self-catering or B&Bs. Under current proposals only those staying overnight in bricks and mortar would pay the levy.

“Cruise ships are a large and welcome part of Shetland’s tourism sector but with the loophole that would mean cruise ship visitors would not be liable to pay this levy is unfair and that provision needs to be addressed in the bill. This is another example of a central belt perspective to an issue which fails to understand the impacts rural and island communities face.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Ms Wishart’s full speech can be seen here.