Scottish Greens Councillor Blair Anderson has proudly posted to X tonight to announce that Glasgow's Tourist Tax has been approved.
Glasgow’s new tourist tax, approved by councillors on June 19, 2025, will be implemented starting January 25, 2027. The visitor levy, driven by the Scottish National Party (SNP) and supported by the Scottish Greens, will charge tourists an average of £4.83 per night, calculated as 5% of their accommodation bill for each night of their stay. This applies to hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs, and self-catering accommodations.
The tax is expected to generate approximately £16 million annually after costs, which will be invested in public improvements like street cleaning, bin collections, and enhancing parks and libraries. Administrative costs for the scheme are estimated at £750,000 to £950,000 annually, with an initial setup cost of £400,000. Hotel operators will retain 1.5% of the collected levy to offset their administrative expenses.
Blair Anderson posted to X:
PASSED! Glasgow is finally getting its tourist tax
Starting in January 2027, driven by me & fellow @glasgowgreens councillors, Glasgow is going to get £16 MILLION extra per year to do up our bins, parks, libraries & more
@scottishgreens deliver fairer tax & better services
https://twitter.com/blairanderson35/status/1935722697889313188
