The announcement by the government that England’s mayors will have the power to introduce a tourism levy marks an important step in the ongoing effort to create consistent and sustainable investment in the visitor economy across the country. Around the world, leading destinations such as New York, Paris and Milan already operate overnight visitor fees that are reinvested in visitor infrastructure, cultural assets, major events and public realm improvements. This proposal would give our local destinations similar flexibility to support strategic priorities through a visitor levy.
For Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, this creates both opportunity and responsibility. Our region benefits from a growing visitor economy with latest data showing a 6.7% increase of economic impact to £2.53 billion and supporting 22,500 jobs across the city and county. Any visitor levy must be planned with local knowledge and informed by the businesses and partners who are part of the sector’s every day.
That is why Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire with its visitor economy teams, Visit Nottinghamshire and Meet in Nottingham, will be convening open conversations and communicating with tourism, accommodation and hospitality partners across our region in the weeks and months ahead. We will encourage them to contribute directly to the consultation, ensuring their views are represented clearly and constructively before the deadline of 18 February 2026.
This is not simply a question of whether a levy should or should not be applied. It is about how the mechanism could work if implemented in the future: what investment it should unlock, how it could support a cohesive long-term visitor strategy, and how it can be designed to enhance competitive position within the national and international tourism market.
We look forward to facilitating dialogue and amplifying our sector’s voice, to ensure Nottingham and Nottinghamshire remain top destinations for both leisure and business visitors.
Share your views in the government’s consultation here.
Posted on 26 November 2025
