Argyll and Bute Council has decided to continue to pause the possible introduction of a Visitor Levy.
At a meeting of Full Council today (Thursday 29 January), it was decided to further delay any potential plans for a levy due to the ongoing introduction of the Scottish Government’s Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.
The Council also agreed to add four more business representatives to the Shadow Visitor Levy Forum (SVLF) – two accommodation providers who took part in the Consultation Report case studies, plus two organisations that work in the travel trade.
An update report will go to the Full Council in April 2026 to inform councillors about the work being done with the SLVF. Once that work is complete, a further report will be presented at a future meeting of the Full Council, so councillors have all the information they need before deciding whether to introduce a Visitor Levy.
The Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Councillor Jim Lynch, said: “The Scottish Government is in the process of amending the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 to give local authorities greater flexibility in how they design and implement Visitor Levies. This is something we have been calling for.
“The public have provided us with informative feedback so, given that legislative changes are underway, we have decided to further postpone any decisions until the new legislation is published. This pause creates valuable time for further discussion with tourism businesses and national partners to ensure any future approach is fair, well‑designed and supports a sustainable tourism sector.”
Argyll and Bute is one of a number of Scottish local authorities considering introducing a Visitor Levy Scheme to raise funds to support and sustain local services and infrastructure for the visitor economy and residents.
The Council previously decided to pause the possible introduction of a Visitor Levy introduction following a 12-week consultation period at its meeting in September 2025. This decision was made with the knowledge that the Scottish Government was minded to make changes to the Visitor levy Amendment Bill.
