St David’s Day is just around the corner, and the perfect opportunity for a day out in Wales. But visitors to the country’s most popular attractions may be disappointed this weekend, as dozens choose to close in protest of the government’s proposed tourist tax.

Organised by the Welsh Association of Visitor Attractions (WAVA), the protest is designed to highlight the impact the proposed tax will have on local people and businesses.

According to WAVA spokesperson Ashford Price, around 100 plus businesses will either close completely on St David’s Day, Saturday 1 March, or fly the Welsh flag at half-mast.

“Despite repeated efforts to engage through normal channels, our concerns have been ignored,” says Jim Jones, CEO of North Wales Tourism.

“As a result, we are escalating our opposition and calling on businesses to join us in a symbolic gesture of lowering flags to half-mast, reflecting the profound damage to what was once one of Wales’ most stable and economically significant sectors.”

The Welsh government has proposed a tax on visitors of £1.25 a night (€1.50), but with VAT on top, it comes out to £1.50 (€1.80). WAVA argues that this will deter visitors from coming to Wales and have a disproportionate impact on local people holidaying at home.

While WAVA doesn’t specify which attractions will participate in the protest, it has over 100 members from all regions of Wales. Member organisations include popular attractions like Anglesey Sea Zoo, Zip World, Oakwood Theme Park and the Royal Mint Experience.

What’s the problem with the proposed Welsh tourist tax?

Tourist taxes have become commonplace in many of Europe’s most popular destinations. Councils and governments have introduced them in hopes of mitigating some of the impacts of overtourism. But WAVA says this is not relevant for Wales, which is experiencing fewer tourists than it has in the past.

“Wales has recently lost 23 per cent of its overnight staying visitors,” says Price, “and I know of no attraction that is getting the figures that they had pre-COVID.”

According to Welsh Government statistics, Wales received 892,000 visits in 2023, 13 per cent fewer than it had in 2019. Tourist spending was at £458 million (€553 million) in 2023, down 11 per cent from 2019.

“Wales remains the only UK nation to not recover spend figures from 2019,” it says.

But the problem is not only the impact a higher cost of visiting Wales will have on those coming from other countries. “Most people in Wales do not realise that they, too, will need to pay this tax,” says Price, “including babies and children.”

According to Welsh government statistics, 21 per cent of people in Wales are living in relative income poverty. For children, that number rises to 29 per cent.

Under the proposals, Welsh people holidaying in Wales will also need to pay the tourism tax. Around 60 per cent of Welsh people holiday in their home country, and account for three in 10 overnight stays.

“I do not think Welsh people will be very happy when this tourism tax comes into force,” says Price. “If you have, and many do, three children and two adults in a tent, it will cost £52.50 (€63.40) to pay the tourism tax on top of your camping fees.”

Price further points out that, while tourism taxes are becoming common abroad, businesses in those countries enjoy lower VAT rates. In Wales, the VAT is 20 per cent.

Why is Wales proposing a tourist tax?

If brought in, Wales would become the first UK nation to introduce a blanket tourist tax. The government has headlined the reasons for the measure as part of its broader effort to support communities impacted by high visitor numbers and ensure tourism remains sustainable.

Officially called a visitor levy, the proposed tax would be applied regionally, with councils deciding for themselves whether to introduce it.

As well as using the funds to better manage tourism and the infrastructure needed to support it, the Welsh government has said the funds will be used to support the Welsh language, “particularly within Welsh-speaking communities where tourism is considered a significant contributor to the local economy.”

The proposed visitor levy is still in the consultation phase, with plans to introduce legislation in 2027.

Is tourist tax the answer to overtourism?

Europe’s 2024 was marked by an exponential rise in protests against overtourism. From the Canary Islands to Greece, local people took to the streets in anger and frustration at the ever-increasing numbers of visitors and the impact tourism has on housing, healthcare and services.

Taxes on visitors are nothing new, with more than 60 destinations worldwide having such a levy in place. However, in response to overtourism, many more destinations are adding tourist taxes, or increasing the rates they charge.

From street protests to an Airbnb ban, all the ways Barcelona said no to tourists in 2024

Not everyone has been happy with the implementation of new taxation on tourists. In Italy, a proposed increase in tourist taxes has sparked opposition from the hospitality sector, with hotel and travel industry associations expressing concern over the proposed hike to €25.

“We must tread very carefully,” Barbara Casillo, director of Italian hotel chain Confindustria Alberghi, told local media last year. “If we scare travellers who come to us by giving the impression that we want to take what we can, we are not doing a good service to the country.”

In Venice, a daily tax was introduced as a response to overtourism. But residents collectively opposed it, claiming it turned Venice into an “amusement park” and arguing that the tax does not disincentivise anyone from visiting. The tax is still in place.

In Thailand, a proposed tourist tax was scrapped after widespread protests against the idea from tourism businesses and the hospitality industry.

The closure of Wales’ attractions and flags at half mast is designed to have an impact on the outcome of the Wales tourist tax proposals. For visitors, the advice is to check before you travel whether the attraction you plan to visit is open.

You could soon be able to travel by direct train from London to cities like Frankfurt and Zurich.

International high-speed rail travel from Britain to the rest of Europe is on track to become faster, more affordable, and more convenient by 2030.

London St. Pancras Highspeed (formerly HS1) has agreed to work with Eurotunnel on a strategic partnership to boost high-speed rail connectivity between the UK and Europe.

The plan hopes to incentivise more train operators to develop new routes to and from the British capital, reducing journey times and improving timetable coordination.

New train operators brought on to rival Eurostar could even mean international rail passengers can bring their pets on board, something that isn’t currently permitted.

A giant boost for ‘rail-first’ travel in Europe

London St. Pancras Highspeed and Eurotunnel have announced a partnership that they call a “pivotal step” in speeding up the growth of high-speed rail on both sides of the English Channel.

Eurostar, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2024, currently holds a monopoly on trains that run through the Channel Tunnel. Operated by Eurotunnel, the Channel Tunnel is the world’s longest undersea tunnel. It allows millions of passengers and freight vehicles to travel between the UK and France each year.

The aim is “to make rail travel the preferred transport option to the continent,” according to a statement announcing the partnership. Both parties have said they will “actively collaborate” with governments on the environmental benefits of rail journeys under six hours.

The news follows a new study showing that St. Pancras has “untapped potential” and could increase existing international passenger capacity from 1,800 by up to nearly 5,000 people per hour.

London St. Pancras Highspeed is currently the UK’s only international high-speed rail line. It directly connects London to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam and offers some seasonal ski services to the French Alps.

This plan could allow access to new train routes between London and major European cities such as Frankfurt, Zurich, and even Milan.

“Joining forces with Eurotunnel is another exciting step on our journey to realise a future where high-speed rail is the preferred option for travelling to Europe,” says

Robert Sinclair, CEO of London St. Pancras Highspeed.

Sinclair adds that the two companies, as key infrastructure managers, can unlock the potential of a “fully connected Europe.”

Infrastructure is one part, but train operators also need to get on board

High-speed train travel between the UK and Europe reduces annual emissions equivalent to 60,000 short-haul flights (pr 750,000 tonnes of CO2) each year, according to research published by London St. Pancras Highspeed.

“We are keen to drive forward attractive opportunities for low-carbon mobility with a range of new destinations in Germany, Switzerland and France,” adds Yann Leriche, CEO of Getlink, the company behind Eurotunnel.

However, Mark Smith, a former rail industry worker who runs the popular train travel guide website Man in Seat 61, explains that this is only the first step in improving international train services.

“We have to remember that these aren’t plans by a train operator to actually run trains.  They are suggestions from infrastructure owners about what trains a future unspecified operator may or may not care to run. There’s a big difference!” says Smith.

Smith says that Getlink and HS1 have “capacity to spare”, which is why they are “preparing the ground” and “simplifying processes” to encourage new operators to compete with Eurostar on its existing routes. He adds that rail-on-rail competition is often more effective at “keeping the lid on prices” than competing with other transport modes.

Which new European train routes could connect with London?

Several operators are seeking to capitalise on the station’s planned expansion, including the Virgin Group, and new Spanish operator Evolyn, which was set up by investors in the UK coach company National Express.

Smith says both operators are “credible contenders” that “are most likely to be interested in the airline-competitive routes between London and Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.” These journeys are in the two to four-hour range.

He also says that a London-Cologne-Frankfurt route is a “realistic possibility”. But it’s dependent on whether “secure platforms and suitable terminal space can be found in Cologne and Frankfurt”.

“We’re talking 2029 or, more likely, 2030 at the earliest.”

A Eurotunnel spokesperson told Euronews Travel that “customer demand for new destinations is clear and real”. They shared market research the company carried out that shows Brits are actively seeking travel by train to Germany (Köln, Frankfurt), Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich), and the South of France (Marseille, Bordeaux).

Other possible proposed routes, such as London to Geneva or Milan, says Smith, would likely be ruled out for commercial and operational reasons, even if passenger demand exists.

Looking ahead to the future, he believes that a new operator to rival Eurostar could bring a new dawn in “simpler and more easily-booked arrangements for cyclists” and “allow pets [to travel] under the PETS travel scheme”, which Eurostar doesn’t currently allow.

Commercial flights were warned to avoid airspace over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand on Friday after Chinese warships took part in an apparent live-fire drill.

It’s understood at least three commercial flights diverted their course after China had given notice that three of its warships could potentially fire live weapons in a military exercise.

Domestic regulator Airservices Australia pre-warned commercial pilots of a potential air space hazard, while Air New Zealand, the neighbouring country’s national carrier, said it had “modified flight paths as needed to avoid the area, with no impact on our operations.”

After the warning, Australian defence officials said they were uncertain whether any live fire of weapons took place. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that any risk had since passed.

“There was no imminent risk of danger to any Australian assets or New Zealand assets,” Albanese told reporters, citing information from his Defence Ministry.

Australian and New Zealand military ships and P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes have been monitoring the three Chinese warships — frigate Hengyang, cruiser Zunyi and replenishment vessel Weishanhu — for days.

The deployment of Chinese ships in the Tasman Sea is regarded as a demonstration of the Chinese navy’s growing size and capability. However, the ships rarely venture so far south.

“Pilots often have to contend with obstacles to safe navigation, whether that be from military exercises such as this or other events like rocket launches, space debris or volcanic eruptions,” Steve Cornell of the Australian and International Pilots Association said.

“That being said, it’s a big bit of ocean and you would think that they could have parked somewhere less inconvenient whilst they flexed their muscles,” he added.

Albanese said the Chinese exercise was legal and took place in international waters outside Australia’s exclusive economic zone.

The country’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, told ABC television that the presence of Chinese ships in waters off Australia was an evolving situation and that she would be “discussing this with the Chinese.”

“We already have at official level, in relation to the notice given and the transparency provided in relation to these exercises, particularly the live fire exercises,” Wong added.

The incident follows another in the South China Sea last week when a Chinese fighter jet released flares in front of an Australian military plane.