A candidate to take over as Mayor of London has called for a tourist tax to raise £400 million a year.
Ivan Massow says tourists should pay £1 per star-rating for every night stayed in a hotel, so for example, four nights in a four-star hotel would cost them £16.
"We’re almost one of the only cities that don’t have it. Berlin, Rome, Paris – they all have it," he told City A.M.
He said his proposed scheme would not affect budget travellers, such as those who stayed in non-star-rated hostels.
Rome has a tourist charge of €3 (£2.20) per night for a five-star hotel, in Paris the highest charge is €1.50 per night and in New York the tourist tax is $2 a night.
If elected Mayor, Massow says the £400 million he would raise from the tourist tax would be used in a variety of areas, including children’s hospices and more air ambulances.
