Tuesday December 2nd 2025
Gullane Golf Club
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A seasonal Visitor Levy is among the measures that should be considered to protect the successful tourist economy on Scotland’s Golf Coast, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Responding to East Lothian Council’s consultation on plans for a Visitor Levy, FSB warned the local authority against rushing into a new local tax at a time when the accommodation sector is fighting to attract increasingly price-conscious customers.
With businesses and major booking platforms experiencing problems with the new Visitor Levy in neighbouring Edinburgh, FSB has recommended East Lothian delay a decision until these issues are resolved. The Scottish Government’s plans to change the rules under which Visitor Levies operate has added to the complexity, it said.
The leading business organisation is calling for a detailed, East Lothian-specific economic impact assessment, including options such as a peak season-only levy.
Garry Clark, FSB’s East Scotland Development Manager, said:
“A Visitor Levy has the potential to be a force for good in East Lothian, by providing additional targeted investment to develop the county’s excellent tourism offering. This could help cement its status as Scotland’s Golf Coast and as a magnet for food and drink tourism.
“However, implemented prematurely, the additional tax and bureaucracy of a Visitor Levy could encourage visitors to bypass East Lothian and even lead some small accommodation providers to close.
“Many accommodation providers in East Lothian are small, local businesses operating in a highly competitive sector in which visitors are increasingly price-conscious. They have had to deal with a significant burden of extra regulation in recent years, not least the new planning and licensing rules associated with Short Term Lets.
“It is vital that East Lothian carries out a detailed economic impact study to fully understand the impact of this new local tax before pressing ahead with its plans.”
Learning lessons from the problems experienced in Edinburgh, where the levy has been introduced at the earliest possible opportunity, was also important, said FSB.
Mr Clark added:
“The pace of implementation in Edinburgh has proved to be a headache both for local businesses and for the large online booking platforms, who remain ill-prepared for the detail of this new tax. The Scottish Government is also bringing forward plans to allow local authorities to charge a flat fee as an alternative to a percentage charge.
“A growing number of councils have taken the decision to pause activity on the levy until such time as industry and the legislative framework are fully prepared and tested. We would encourage East Lothian to adopt this approach.”
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