York and North Yorkshire mayor seeks £2 per night visitor fee to fund services, pending regional consultation.

York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith is pursuing a proposed £2 per person, per night visitor levy, which could generate up to £52 million annually to support local services and tourism infrastructure. The plan, backed by research from the region’s Policy Lab, aims to ease pressures from high visitor numbers without raising costs for residents. Skaith has held over 100 meetings with tourism and hospitality businesses across the region and is reviewing feedback ahead of a potential regional consultation. The UK government is closing its national consultation on such levies, and if approved, the mayor would lead a regional consultation before implementation. North Yorkshire Council cannot block the decision, and concerns remain over potential impacts on tourism and small businesses.