The hospitality industry fears a tourist tax will drive visitors away – the evidence disagrees

Studies from hotspots across Europe that have introduced a levy suggest it has no impact on visitor numbers

If you wandered down Las Ramblas or lazed on a beach in the Balearics this summer, you probably paid a tourist tax for the privilege. In fact, if you enjoyed any of Europe’s beauty spots in recent years, an overnight levy was most likely added to your bill.

Britons have become used to paying these fees abroad but ministers have shied away from introducing them in the UK. The furious response from UK hospitality bosses helps to explain why.