September 24, 2026 - 123 views
The visitor levy has hit a crossroads in North Wales – with Conwy pressing pause while Anglesey has rejected the idea altogether.
Conwy County Borough Council has decided it needs more evidence before committing itself to a charge on visitors staying overnight, while councillors on Anglesey have voted against introducing a levy on the island.
The contrasting decisions were made by the two councils today, Thursday, September 24, as local authorities across Wales consider whether a visitor levy could provide additional money to support tourism and local communities.
In Conwy, councillors agreed to defer a decision, saying more evidence is needed to understand how a levy would work in practice and what impact it could have on the county's tourism economy.
The decision follows consideration of the issue by the Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier this month, which endorsed the recommendation to defer a decision.
Conwy County Council says it will now monitor the practical experience of visitor levies being introduced elsewhere in Wales before deciding whether one would be appropriate for the county.
A public consultation was held between May 20 and July 17, asking residents, visitors and businesses for their views.
The council says responses raised concerns about the lack of robust data on the potential effects of a levy.
There were also concerns that an additional charge could affect Conwy's competitiveness and potentially result in fewer bookings, shorter stays and reduced visitor spending.
Businesses also raised concerns about the timing of any levy, given wider economic pressures.
Councillor Sharon, Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Economy and Communications, said tourism was vital to Conwy's economy and any decision needed to be based on robust evidence.
She said the consultation had delivered a strong message that more evidence was needed before a decision was taken.
On Anglesey, however, councillors have decided not to proceed with a visitor levy.
The full council voted against introducing one at its meeting today, following months of discussion and consultation.
A public consultation received 2,098 responses, with 1,482 people – 70.8 per cent – either opposing or tending to oppose the proposal.
A total of 525 respondents, or 25.1 per cent, supported or tended to support it.
Those figures relate to the consultation rather than today's councillors' vote, and the numerical breakdown of the final vote has not yet been published in the official council information or reliable reports available.
Visitor levies are possible under powers introduced by the Welsh Government, allowing councils to charge people staying overnight in paid accommodation.
The money raised is intended to support sustainable tourism and the local visitor economy.
For now, the message from two of North Wales' major tourism areas is clear but different: Anglesey has said no to a levy, while Conwy has chosen to wait and see how the policy works elsewhere before making a final decision.
