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,

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.

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

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.

Edinburgh councillors are to vote for Scotland’s first visitor levy designed to raise £50m annually for the authority. The final proposals for the scheme, taking account the findings of the 12-week public consultation, were presented by officers at a special meeting of the Policy & Sustainability Committee last Friday (January 17).

Edinburgh councillors have approved a visitor levy, or tourist tax, but have agreed to extend the deadline for applying it to bookings.

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