Edinburgh is set to become the first city in Scotland to introduce a tourist tax after the Scottish government granted powers to local authorities to introduce visitor charges.

Edinburgh’s city council has approved a proposal called the ‘Transient Visitor Levy’ to be introduced in 2026.

The fee has been set at five per cent of accommodation costs and is expected to raise up to £50 million (€59 million) a year to be used to make improvements to the city.

However, some tourism operators are concerned it will put travellers off the destination.

Authorities in the Scottish Highlands are also considering introducing a tourist tax.

Edinburgh to become the first city in Scotland to charge a tourist tax

Last September, Edinburgh officials approved a proposal to charge guests at hotels, B&Bs, hostels and holiday rentals including Airbnbs five per cent of the cost per room per night.

The fee will be capped at seven consecutive days and is scheduled to come into force on 24 July 2026.

A new report for the council’s policy and sustainability committee has proposed introducing a transition period to help businesses adjust.

This means tourists will likely only be required to pay the tax on bookings made after 1 May 2025 for stays after 24 July 2026.

The measure comes after the Scottish Parliament passed a bill that allows local authorities to introduce visitor taxes.

The city council says the funds will be invested in infrastructure, affordable housing, destination management and culture, heritage and events.

The tax is expected to raise up to £50 million (€59 million) per year by 2029 for the Scottish capital.

Council leader Cammy Day said 35 per cent of the proceeds will be earmarked for the arts sector.

Tourism operators concerned over introduction of Edinburgh tourist tax

The fee will bring Edinburgh in line with other popular tourist destinations around Europe including Amsterdam, which has a 12.5 per cent tourist tax, and Berlin.

However, some tourism operators worry the levy will make Edinburgh a less competitive holiday destination and deter visitors.

“It remains a very contentious matter,” Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, told travel news site Skift.

“There are concerns around the future total price point to the customer and what impact this might have on future bookings, especially by our domestic visitors when there are already signs of decline in bookings from this market due to the UK cost of living crisis still biting.”

But Day thinks the tax won’t put off visitors. “I can’t see a few pounds putting somebody off visiting the city,” told BBC Radio Scotland. “If you can afford to spend hundreds of pounds on a hotel room, you can afford a few pounds to support the city that you are visiting.”

Scottish Highlands mull tourist tax

The Highland Council is also considering implementing a tourist tax under the new powers introduced by the Scottish Government.

The region of mountains and glens receives over six million tourists a year, including daytrippers and cruise passengers.

As with the Edinburgh tax, it would be a percentage of the accommodation cost per night.

The Highlands region was already considering a visitor charge in 2019 and calculated that it would raise as much as £10 million (€12 million) a year to go towards improving local infrastructure.

The UK has just launched its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permit for non-EU travellers.

The new system means tourists are required to gain permission to enter the country, as part of plans to fully digitise its borders.

The permit is required for travellers from countries like the US, Canada and Australia starting 8 January 2025.

The scheme has been in place for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since last November.

Europeans will also need an ETA from later this year. Read on for the cost, validity and how to get it.

When will EU travellers need to apply for an ETA to visit the UK?

The ETA replaces the single-use Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) scheme, offering a lower cost option with multi-entry validity.

The ETA is required for all nationalities, except European citizens. You can find the full list of countries here.

Europeans, meanwhile, will be required to have an ETA for travel from 2 April 2025, with applications opening on 5 March.

How do I apply for an ETA to enter the UK?

Most visitors will be able to apply using a mobile app and can expect a decision within three days. You will get an email with the decision.

Everyone travelling needs to apply including babies and children, but you can apply for other people. Download the ETA app from the UK government website.

The government says the app is the quickest and easiest way to apply for an ETA but if you cannot download it for some reason, you can also apply online here.

To complete the application, make sure you have on hand the passport you’ll be travelling on, an email address and a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You will have to answer a set of suitability questions. You don’t need to enter your travel details.

You can delete the app when you’ve finished applying. Your ETA will be linked to your passport digitally, and you will not need to show anything else when you enter the UK.

When to apply for your ETA

The government says: “You must apply for an ETA before you travel to the UK. You can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision.”

Considering most applicants will get a decision within three days, it can be assumed you should apply at least three ahead of travelling to the UK, though you can do it much further in advance of course.

How much does the UK ETA cost?

Like the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in the US, a fee is attached to the application process. The ETA costs £10, approximately €12 at the time of writing.

How long is the ETA valid for?

An ETA lasts for two years. You do not need to apply again during this time.

You can travel to the UK as many times as you want during the period of validity but you not stay for longer than six months on one trip. Check the UK government website for more details on what you can and can not do on an ETA.

Note that because your ETA is linked to your passport if you get a new passport you will need to apply for a new ETA.

Will I need a visa to enter the UK?

The ETA isn’t a visa but it does grant permission to enter the country.

All visitors who currently don’t have to apply for a visa will need to get an ETA before they travel. This includes those who do not currently need to submit any form of application to visit the UK. US, Canadian, Australian and European citizens for example need an ETA even for short stays or transiting through the UK.

Travellers from countries that don’t have visa-free entry agreements with the UK will still have to apply for the correct visa and an ETA.

If you don’t apply before your trip, the government say you could be fined, though no further details have been given on this.

You still need to apply if you are transiting through the UK even if you aren’t going through border control.

The ETA allows you to come to the UK for six months for tourism, visits to family and friends, business or short term study.

You can also get an ETA instead of a visa if you are coming to the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession or coming to the UK for a permitted paid engagement. Outside of these conditions you can’t use an ETA to do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person.

Who does not need an ETA?

British and Irish citizens, people who already have a visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK, those travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport and people who live in Ireland and are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man don’t need to apply for an ETA.

Why is the UK introducing the ETA scheme?

The ETA is part of the UK’s plan to digitise its borders at UK airports by the end of 2025.

The scheme is intended to reduce queues at the border, “helping to speed up legitimate journeys to the UK”.

Facial recognition technology could be used to make these “contactless corridors” possible, British newspaper The Times reports. It would require international travellers to submit biographic and biometric details, like photos of their faces through the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme before they fly.

London has the most congested roads in Europe for the fourth year in a row, according to a new analysis.

Traffic analytics company Inrix found that it had the fifth most clogged roads in the world overall.

Inrix says in its 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard that the capital city accounted for around half of all UK traffic delays, costing around £3.85 billion (€4.64 billion) in lost time or £942 (€1,135) per driver.

The analytics firm says the city has some of the worst corridors for traffic delays due to its “concentration of population, employment and economic activity”.

“While the UK did see a slight increase in congestion again this year, overall congestion has remained steady,” says Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst and author of the report.

“Roadworks in key corridors such as M25 Wisely Interchange caused considerable traffic on a main artery into the capital.”

Pishue adds that, though London accounted for half of all congestion, it was cities outside of the capital that saw the UK’s biggest increases in traffic issues. Across the UK, drivers spent an average of 62 hours stuck in traffic last year.

Some of the busiest roads in the UK are in London

Transport For London is responsible for a network of red routes – major roads where vehicles are not allowed to stop, park, or load and unload – that carry around a third of the UK capital’s traffic.

A spokesperson for the local government body says that it is “committed to making sure Londoners can move around the capital as safely, sustainably and efficiently as possible”.

“We support the movement of everyone across London and our investment in walking, cycling and public transport is making it easier to choose sustainable ways of travelling, helping to cut congestion.

“Our network includes some of the busiest roads in the country and we continue to invest in world-leading programmes to make sure roads are used as efficiently as possible.”

Where are Europe’s other most congested cities?

The ranking is based on the length of delays drivers face, weighted by the number of people who live in each city. Unsurprisingly, a number of Europe’s capital cities came out on top of the list.

London drivers spent on average 101 hours sitting in traffic last year, according to Inrix’s analysis.

Paris, France had Europe’s second most congested roads and the sixth globally with drivers facing 97 hours of delay. Dublin, Ireland is the third most congested city in Europe with 81 hours of delays.

Next is Rome where drivers spend an average of 71 hours sitting in traffic, then Brussels where the delays tally up to 74 hours a year.

“For the fourth year in a row, London takes top spot for the most congested city in Europe,” climate charity Possible said in a post on social media site X.

“This is a nightmare for the climate, Londoners’ health, and the economy. We need to be bolder in getting people walking, cycling & using public transport.”