The UK just made it official.

STR Unpacked · May 14, 2026 · 2m · transcript

Yesterday's King's Speech introduced the Overnight Visitor Levy Bill as standalone legislation.

Mayors in England will get the power to charge a tourist tax on overnight stays.

West Yorkshire and York have already said yes.

Manchester and London are expected to follow.

National projections? £1.2 billion a year.

Here's the part the headlines are missing.

The operator is the legally liable party.

You collect it. You record it. You remit it quarterly.

And because legally you're paying the levy, VAT gets charged on top of it.

Tourist tax in name. Operator tax in practice.

So what do we think as…