Why Edinburgh needs a tourist tax – Professor Joe Goldblatt

A transient visitor levy – or tourist tax – would help Edinburgh compete with other European cities for visitors, writes Professor Joe Goldblatt.
The City of Edinburgh, since the advent of mass tourism in the 19th century, has been a world leader in the sector.
It has also led the way in most annual competitions for best city, best attractions, best friendliness, and many other metrics where a destination would want to be rated consistently as best in class since such measures began to be taken.
However, in one area, our city is a failure.
Throughout North America, the use of a transient... read more