Travel trade association UKinbound has strongly denounced proposals put forward by councils and the Mayor of London to introduce a bed tax for tourists.

UKinbound’s chief executive officer, Deirdre Wells OBE, said: “Introducing a bed tax would be a retrograde step for UK tourism. Every inbound tourist already contributes an additional £630 in export earnings and £216 to the Exchequer, and the UK has one of the most punitive tax systems for tourism in the world. Inbound tourism generates over £22 billion for the UK economy making it our 7th biggest export earner and one of our largest employers. Councils across the country need to do all they can to encourage more tourists to visit their destinations, not see them as a cash cow.”

Wells continued: “It is highly important that we send a welcoming message to tourists visiting our post-Brexit Britain. Introducing a bed tax will counteract the Government’s ambition of making us a truly tolerant and global nation.”