Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with directly elected Mayors on the devolution of powers for tourist levies.

DCMS recognises the interest from local areas in exploring ways to support and sustain their visitor economies, including through the use of voluntary tourist levies.

Tourist levies organised by Accommodation Business Improvement Districts, such as those piloted in Manchester and being explored in other parts of the country, are locally driven initiatives that enable participating businesses to pool resources to fund tourism-related services and improvements. While these schemes are still relatively new, DCMS is monitoring their development and engaging with stakeholders to understand their impact.

DCMS has had a range of discussions with local leaders, including directly elected Mayors, about the tools available to support tourism. While the introduction of statutory tourist levies would be a matter for wider cross-government consideration, DCMS is continuing to engage with local authorities and Combined Authorities to understand their ambitions and ensure the sector remains sustainable and competitive.