Brighton tourist tax debate ignites amid overcrowding claims – as council insists they welcome visitors

A travel executive has floated the idea of introducing a tourist tax within Brighton to stop overcrowding and pollution in the coastal city, however, the council claims that they welcome tourism, and they are not challenged by their large numbers of visitors.

Brighton attracts visitors each year for its eclectic seaside culture, LGBT+ scene, vibrant nightlife, and an array of independent shops, restaurants, bars, and art galleries that are woven among the Lanes.

However, is the climbing number of tourists post-pandemic putting a strain on the city and the local residents?

Caroline Cartellieri, a non-executive Director at Europ Assistance, a travel insurance and assistance company, suggestedthat a tourist tax charging day-trippers visiting Brighton could potentially quell tourism issues in the area.

“As overtourism continues to challenge popular UK seaside destinations like Brighton, innovative solutions are crucial,” Cartelleri told the Daily Express.

Cartellieri claimed that day-trippers do not contribute much to the local economy as they often bring their own food and leave behind their litter, but a tourist tax could help limit overcrowding and encourage tourists to spread out more in the city rather than in busy areas.

While she offered the tourist tax as a potential solution to these issues, Cartellieri stressed that it is merely a suggestion and would be considerable consultation before officials’ plans could ever be put in place.

However, Brighton Council have a different perspective on the impact of tourism within their city, arguing that their visitors enhance their city’s culture and economy.

Councillor Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, told The Independent that “Brighton & Hove is not challenged by tourism; we welcome it.

“As the sunniest city in England and Wales and somewhere with beautiful beaches, amazing culture, arts, sport, a packed calendar of events, and the scenic South Downs, we’re a top travel destination all year round.

“Brighton & Hove simply would not be the same without the vibrancy the 11 million annual visitors to our city help create.”

In fact, the coastal city is still working to rebuild their tourism industry after the pandemic after their numbers dwindled rapidly during the lockdown.

The number of visitors was down by 27 per cent in 2020 due to the pandemic, having only welcomed 9 million tourists, whereas only a year before, in 2019, Brighton welcomed 12.37 million visitors.

Now, in 2024, the numbers have slowly started to recover, with around 11.47 million people visiting Brighton and Hove on average in a year; however, it is still around one million below their pre-pandemic levels.

The council says that tourists bring in £1.27bn in economic benefits to the area annually and support over 23,345 jobs in Brighton.

However, something that Cartellieri and the council do agree on is the impact that the short-term rental market, holiday homes for visitors who have booked a coastal break, is having on residential communities.

Short-term rental properties have been a point of contention for some Brighton locals in the past.

Green councillor Ellen McLeay proposed a motion in July at a Brighton & Hove City Council meeting in July to tackle short-term holiday lets and their impact on the local housing market.

McLeay said families were being "priced out" of the city centre, and short-term lets were creating "ghost neighbourhoods".

Sankey said that she would like to see new powers allowing councils within the UK to regulate the number of short-term holiday lets and have the power to allow them to decide on taxes for tourists.

“We’re not immune to the impact of the national housing crises,” the councillor said.

“We need new powers to regulate the number of short-term lets and to allow us to charge a tourism tax, which we could then reinvest in our amazing city and ensure it remains the vibrant and welcoming place residents are proud of and so many millions of people love to visit.”

The idea of a tourism tax is not as radical as it may appear, as in April, Venice became the first city in the world to charge admission for daytrippers.

The €5 (£4.26) charge to enter the historic centre of Venice started a 29-day trial to control visitor numbers on busy days until mid-July.

In fact, a similar plan has already been put in place by the Brighton Palace Pier, a Grade II listed pier that includes an amusement park and is owned by a hospitality group, who introduced a £1 admission fee in May for the cost of maintaining and operating the tourist attraction.

The owners said the charges would not apply to some Brighton residents or children under the age of two, but it was necessary to keep running the pier, as the cost of operating the attraction has risen by £2.7m in the last five years.

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