World News for Students of English

16-09-2026 07:00

England will soon allow local mayors to charge a tourist tax on overnight hotel stays.

The tax will cover all types of places to stay, like hotels, B&Bs, and holiday homes. Mayors can choose the exact price, but most plan to keep it under 5% of the total room bill.

Cities like Manchester, which charges 1 pound (1.14 euros) per room, and Edinburgh already use similar fees. The new tax will likely start before 2029. Many businesses in the tourism industry are unhappy about the new tax. They worry that visitors will choose other places to travel to avoid paying extra fees, which could lead to a 1.8 billion pound (2.1 billion euros) loss in tourism spending. Studies show that many tourists might stay fewer nights or spend less money.

Mayors don’t have to introduce the tax, and some local leaders already said no to the plan.

Difficult words: mayor (an elected leader of a city or town government), likely (expected to happen or very probable), avoid (to stay away from a person, place, or situation).

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