Tourist tax is often used in areas with a high volume of tourists and is a way for local governments to generate money to help fund local needs.
Countries like Canada, Spain, Germany and Italy all have the tax, while the Scottish capital, Edinburgh previously announced that from July 2026, there will be a 5% levy charge added to accommodation costs.
Now Londoners have taken to the social media site Reddit with calls for London to introduce a tourist tax.
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Calls for London to introduce a tourist tax
Taking to r/London, one user said: “London needs a tourist tax.
“Over the years, funding for London councils has been severely cut, making it difficult for them to keep up with the demand for rubbish collection, street cleaning, and necessary improvements caused by the influx of tourists.
“Walking through central London this evening, I noticed overflowing bins and messy, dirty streets—highlighting the urgent need for better infrastructure to keep the city running smoothly.
“Surely a £1 per person, per night tourist tax—specifically allocated to funding more bins, additional street cleaners, and improvements in high-traffic areas—would help address this issue.”
The post gained mass attention, earning more than 200 comments with many agreeing with the original poster.
One person said: “I think this is a good idea to be fair, it’s been common in mainland Europe for a long time, you often settle the taxes on your final night in Paris for example.”
Another person said: “I don’t mind paying a few quid if it makes visiting London/the UK more pleasant.”
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A third said: “It would, but not to get confused, our city loves tourists and tourists aren’t causing any giant issues.
“A pound a night nobody would notice and it would give funding to solve wider issues.”
Others suggested that a tourist tax could put people off from coming to London: “The price faced by tourists for any decent hotel in Central London is now extortionate, so the answer isn’t to drive them further away.”
