Visit Northumberland’s Response to Consultation on the Introduction of a Visitor Levy
In a pre-budget announcement in November 2025, the UK Government opened consultation seeking views on the design of a new power to implement a levy on overnight trips. The new powers would ‘enable England’s mayors to invest in local growth in transport, infrastructure, and the visitor economy through a new levy on overnight stays’.
The consultation sought views on the design of this new power.
As the accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership and convener of the Northumberland visitor economy, Visit Northumberland submitted a response on behalf of the sector.
Summary
Visit Northumberland’s response has been prepared collaboratively by Visit Northumberland, the accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) and Northumberland County Council and reflects engagement with local visitor economy businesses and stakeholders.
Northumberland supports the ambition to grow the North East visitor economy and recognises the strategic role that Mayoral and Foundation Strategic Authorities may play in shaping regional growth.
However, given the structure, seasonality and price sensitivity of Northumberland’s predominantly rural visitor economy, which includes extensive areas of National Park and National Landscape designation and internationally significant heritage assets such as the Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site, both Visit Northumberland and Northumberland County Council maintain a position of significant caution regarding the introduction of a visitor levy.
Key Points Raised
Informed by local business sentiment and economic and rural characteristics of Northumberland, the response sets out:
- The Northumberland County Council administration’s position of non-support for a levy in Northumberland, alongside Visit Northumberland’s position of caution.
- A straw poll of Northumberland visitor economy businesses indicated that 74% of respondents did not support the principle of introducing a levy. Concerns centred particularly on potential impacts on demand, ancillary spend and administrative burden for small businesses.
- A clear framework of safeguards that would be essential should Government proceed with granting levy powers, including full ring-fencing of locally generated revenues, meaningful local governance involvement (including engagement with the Northumberland National Park and Northumberland Coast National Landscape where relevant), proportionality in rate setting, and recognition of rural and protected landscape market conditions.
- A strong emphasis on transparency, additionality, administrative simplicity and alignment with Destination Management Plans, regenerative tourism principles and environmental stewardship priorities.
The response also highlights the importance of ensuring that any levy framework reflects rural economic, protected landscape and internationally designated heritage realities, protects micro and seasonal businesses from disproportionate burdens, and provides visible, demonstrable local benefit to maintain business and community confidence.
