Decision details

The purpose of this report is to inform the North Yorkshire Council response to the Government consultation on National Visitor Levy, which closes on 18 February 2026. The decision required will be to agree the content of the consultation response.

The Executive Member for Open to Business has approved the response to the National Consultation on Overnight levy and this will be submitted as the North Yorkshire Council Response.

The decision to approve and submit the consultation response to Government was to ensure that North Yorkshire Council:

• clearly articulated the specific needs and sensitivities of the county’s diverse visitor economy;
• reflected the views and concerns raised by local accommodation providers and visitor facing businesses;
• sought to influence the development of national legislation that may directly impact the area;
• supported appropriate governance arrangements and safeguards should new Mayoral powers be introduced; and
• ensured that any future implementation of a visitor levy is aligned with the Council Plan, Destination Management Plan, and wider strategic objectives.

The alternative option was not to submit a consultation response. This option was discounted as it would have limited the Council’s ability to influence the development of a policy that could have significant implications for the local visitor economy. By gathering business feedback and submitting a formal response, the Council has ensured that the specific needs and concerns of North Yorkshire are represented in national decision-making.