UK tourist tax: Holidaymakers to be charged when in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in Dorset to 'safeguard local economy'

Major UK holiday destination, Dorset, is set to become the first coastal region to introduce a ‘tourist tax’. Visitors will be taxed in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, from 1 July.

It comes after a consultation by the Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) where hotels voted in favour of the levy. The tax will require guests staying in larger hotels in the BCP area to pay an extra £2 levy per room, per night.

It is expected to generate £12m in the next five years. Funds made through the tourist tax will be used to help sustain and develop events like Bournemouth Air Festival, Arts by the Sea, Poole Christmas Maritime and Christmas Tree Wonderland.

In a statement, ABID said accommodation providers in the BCP area had "come together to form the first of its kind scheme to strengthen and grow tourism in the coastal area". It said the tourist tax was designed to "safeguard the local economy" by generating money to attract more visitors to the Dorset coast.

Chair of the shadow ABID board, Rosie Radwell, from Marsham Court Hotel said the additional funds would "have a huge impact on the future of tourism" in the area. She added: "I would like to thank our fellow accommodation providers for recognising the power of partnership working and the necessity to act now. We are excited about the future and have already started to plan projects and events to enhance tourism in the area."

The announcement comes a couple of weeks after the Cornwall tourism chief warned holidaymakers that he could “certainly envision” a tax on tourists being rolled out in the near future. Malcolm Bell, the chief executive of Visit Cornwall, said a Cornwall tax should also be applied in tandem with neighbouring Devon to avoid forcing tourists away from Cornwall, adding that the charge must be used to directly fund local business.