Charge agreed for overnight visitors to Cardiff

Overnight visitors to Cardiff will pay an extra fee from next year (April 2027), city councillors decided yesterday (Thursday 26 March).

The visitor levy (sometimes dubbed 'tourist tax'), as set out in legislation, will be £1.30 per person per night for most accommodation types and 75p per person per night for campsites and shared rooms like hostels. The charges will be subject to VAT.

In Rhiwbina, the levy will apply to hotels such as the New House Country Hotel and the Travelodge at the Mason's Arms, as well as to AirBnBs and other rentals.

Some visitors will be exempt, including:

• Under 18s staying in campsites or shared rooms;

• People staying more than 31 nights in a single booking;

• People in emergency or temporary accommodation arranged by the council.

The council's decision follows new Welsh legislation, allowing local authorities across Wales to charge a small fee to overnight visitors from April 2027.

Public consultation in Cardiff showed 62% of respondents supporting the levy, while 33% opposed and 5% were neutral.

On the positive side, respondents noted that similar charges are common internationally, and that a modest fee could help develop the sector, as well as deal with the impact of major events.

But some respondents raised concerns, including the potential impact on visitor numbers, the risk of income being absorbed by administrative or unrelated budgets, and the additional burden on accommodation providers.

There was a strong call to ring‑fence the income, so the money from the levy is visibly reinvested to improve Cardiff as a tourist destination and to address any impacts of increased visitor numbers.

The areas attracting the strongest support for investment include promoting and marketing the city, visitor infrastructure, and making the city welcoming for visitors.