IMF team to visit Pakistan to review standby arrangement

Highlights

• Government expected to give London powers to bring in a tourist levy on overnight stays.
• GLA study says a £1 fee could raise £91m, a 5 per cent charge could generate £240m annually.
• Research suggests London would not see a major fall in visitor numbers if levy introduced.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give Sadiq Khan and other English city leaders the power to impose such a levy through the upcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. London currently cannot set its own tourist tax, making England the only G7 nation where national government blocks local authorities from doing so.

A spokesperson for the mayor said City Hall supported the idea in principle, adding “The Mayor has been clear that a modest tourist levy, similar to other international cities, would boost our economy, deliver growth and help cement London’s reputation as a global tourism and business destination.”