West End makes fresh calls for end to tourist tax ahead of ‘make or break’ festive period October 31, 2023 New West End Company forecasts up to £1.64bn in spending this festive season — but it may be up to international shoppers to take the wheel.
Scrap the tourist tax hurting our hospitality businesses or lose out to Paris and Madrid May 30, 2023 Tourism is incredibly important for London, but to keep London important for tourism, we have to make it more attractive for foreign visitors to shop here, writes Chris Hayward.
Tourist Tax: M&S and Primark urge Jeremy Hunt to ‘think again’ as £11.1bn wiped of GDP January 30, 2024 Business leaders are piling fresh pressure on the government to scrap its controversial tourist tax as data shows it is eating away at UK GDP and banishing international visitors.
London losing out due to ‘tourist tax’ as US and Gulf visitors opt for Paris and Milan instead August 14, 2023 London is losing out on wealthy foreign visitors splashing their cash in Oxford Street due to the so-called ‘tourist tax’, amid renewed calls to scrap it and make the capital more competitive. The removal of VAT free shopping for international tourists continues to hurt London retailers, with visitors from the US and the Gulf cutting [...]
Fresh calls to end tourist tax as London risks ‘losing out’ to rival EU cities May 30, 2023 The policy chair of the City of London Corporation has made fresh calls for an end to tourist tax on foreign shoppers, warning that the capital could lose out to rival European cities. Writing in City A.M, Chris Hayward, said that London’s recovery is “not being maximised,” noting that the Treasury’s decision to scrap the [...]
The Notebook: Sir Rocco Forte on the hated tourist tax, counteracting climate hysteria and Boris Johnson’s legacy June 26, 2023 The Notebook is a column where interesting people say interesting things. Today, it’s hotel industry giant Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels My hotels in Italy, Germany and Belgium are booming. But occupancy in London is not what it was last year nor what we saw pre-pandemic. Official statistics bear this out, showing [...]
Khan: Tourist tax-free shopping u-turn bad for London’s businesses October 18, 2022 Sadiq Khan has slammed the government’s decision to u-turn on a plan to give tourists tax-free shopping. The Mayor of London said he “absolutely” shared the concerns of West End businesses, who have expressed disappointment that the capital will lag behind other cities’ in efforts to welcome high-spending foreign visitors. “VAT-free shopping for international tourists [...]
I’d never normally protest, but Sunak is bleeding the tourist economy dry November 1, 2023 Sir Rocco Forte and a host of other business leaders are protesting over the tourist tax today. He explains why.
Spring Budget 2024: Business leaders livid ‘overwhelming’ case for one tax cut didn’t land March 6, 2024 Bosses, including the chief of Marks and Spencer and the head of British Airways, have reacted with fury this afternoon, following the Chancellor’s snub of the tourist tax.
Faberge boss eggs on UK to bring back tax-free shopping to lure back wealthy tourists August 3, 2023 The boss of Faberge has joined calls for the UK to scrap the so-called ‘tourist tax’, which a new study has claimed is costing the UK over £10bn a year. Faberge chief Anthony Lindsay has urged for the return of tax-free shopping after a recent study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) [...]