The UK’s first tourist tax is officially coming.

STR Unpacked · Mar 9, 2026 · 1m · transcript

📍 Edinburgh will introduce a 5% visitor levy starting 24 July 2026.

The tax will apply to:

• Hotels

• B&Bs

• Short-term rentals, including listings on Airbnb and Booking.com

Key details operators should know:

➡️ 5% of the accommodation price per night

➡️ Applies for up to 7 consecutive nights

➡️ Applies across all paid visitor accommodation

The city expects the levy to generate tens of millions of pounds per year to fund tourism infrastructure and manage visitor pressure.

This may look like a local policy but it’s a major signal for the UK STR market.

If Edinburgh proves the model works…