A BRITISH holiday hotspot is looking at bringing in a new tourist tax to try and limit the number of people that visit every year.
Several tourist destinations have implemented similar fees to minimise the impact of tourists.
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Now St Ives in Cornwall is considering becoming the latest place to do just that.
According to the BBC, the Mayor of St Ives, Johnnie Wells, is in talks with holiday firms about implementing a voluntary levy.
It comes just over a year after the town implemented a charge for visitors to use its public toilets, while locals can use them for free.
Mr Wells said that St Ives is struggling to match demand and maintain services for the almost 800,000 tourists that visit every year.
He told BBC News: “During the summer we’re providing facilities for hundreds of thousands of visitors when every budget we have is being reduced.
“It makes it very difficult as a council to make ends meet.
“We need to figure out a way of making people feel like they are contributing to St Ives, by paying a bit of extra money towards the town.”
Other places in the UK have brought in similar taxes, including Manchester, where the fees were brought in at the beginning of April this year.
Overnight guests now have to pay £1 a night, per room, as part of the scheme.
The money will go towards the Manchester Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) as part of an improvement programme over the next five years.
Annie Brown, first chair of the ABI, told Manchester Evening News: “There are other cities in the UK looking to put in place what Manchester has done, I don’t think it’s a charge that’s off-putting.”
Even Wales is considering a tourist tax, although haven’t confirmed how much it could be.
And abroad, places like Venice and Barcelona already have tourist taxes in place.
St Ives was named one of TripAdvisor’s Global Emerging Destinations in their 2021 Travellers’ Choice Awards.
It came in fifth place for Emerging Destinations, and was the only UK spot to make the list at all.
TripAdvisor spokesperson Hayely Coleman explained: “These are destinations that travellers want to visit next – whether an existing tourism gem, or an off-the-radar spot not yet firmly on the map for international travellers.
“It is no secret that St Ives is a well loved and long established tourist haven, with its picturesque harbour, beautiful beaches and buzzing art scene.”
Meanwhile, this perfect UK beach with white sand, clear seas, waterfalls and wild ponies is also in Cornwall.
And so is this incredible UK beach with golden sands and clear blue sea that people can’t believe isn’t abroad.
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