Liverpool is set to introduce a £2 "tourist tax" for overnight visitors starting in June 2025, after hotel owners voted in favour of the scheme.
The levy could raise as much as £9.2million over two years, according to Accommodation BID, which represents 83 hotels and serviced apartment providers in the city.
Of the hotels balloted about the charge, 59 per cent were in favour, from a turnout of 53 per cent.
Liverpool was the fifth-most visited city in the UK in 2023, attracting around 900,000 visitors.
Public reaction to the new charge has been mixed
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Around 73 per cent of the funds raised will go towards supporting Liverpool's visitor economy, according to Liverpool BID Company, which manages Accommodation BID.
The company said the tax, dubbed the £2 City Visitor Charge, would "turbo-charge" the tourism and visitor economy in the UK's fifth-largest city.
Accommodation providers and hotels will manage and administer the charge, collecting it from customers either at check-in or when their stay concludes.
The money raised will be administered by Accommodation BID, which includes two business improvement districts in the city centre and represents more than 800 companies.
Public reaction to the new charge has been mixed, with some warning it could deter visitors from the city.
One person wrote on X: "This tourist tax might deter visitors when Liverpool's already struggling to attract tourists. I live in the UK & shouldn't have to pay a tax to go to a UK city."
Another added: "I love a break in Liverpool, but that's me done with it now they're going to put a £2 tourist tax on visitors."
Others have supported the scheme, with one X user commenting: "These things help cities thrive, it's a bit of extra money in the pot for services. Amsterdam's got one, Paris has got one - London should introduce one."
Marcus Magee, chair of Liverpool's Accommodation BID, said the tax would be "crucial to the vibrancy and economy of the city".
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Accommodation providers and hotels will manage and administer the charge
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He added it was a major step towards the city's hospitality sector having influence on decisions about the visitor economy.
Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company, said the levy would help Liverpool attract bigger events.
"The evidence of other European cities suggests this model will translate overnight stays into major investment, so that we can convert that into world-leading and world-beating events," he said.
The scheme aims to bring more visitors and money into the city.
