Visitors to Edinburgh will be charged a tourist tax designed to raise £50m annually, after city councillors voted in favour of the move. The charge, which mimics those already used in Germany, Spain and Italy,

But while councillors are understandably excited about a maximum £50 million annual boost to their finances, commentators on social media are all raising the same concern about overnight stays in the city frequently ranked among the best in the UK and the world.

Local politicians in Edinburgh have approved a tourist tax for visitors staying overnight the Scottish capital, introducing the first charge of its kind in the United Kingdom.

The plans being considered by the City of Edinburgh Council would see overnight tourists charged a 5% levy - which the council has said could raise £50m a year.

A five per cent charge will be levied on hotels, B&Bs, campsites and accommodation let through websites such as Airbnb

Councillors agreed to delay the introduction of the new charge until October to give the industry time to prepare