Statutory Licensing Scheme and Tourism Levy - Latest

Earlier this year a public consultation sought views on how a licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales could operate on a practical level. This closed on 17 March with more than 1,500 responses. 

​To supplement the main consultation, three in person engagement events were held across Wales in May. Invited key stakeholders from across the tourism industry gave feedback on specific technical aspects of the proposed scheme. Those that attended represented a significant number and variety of tourism businesses and organisations in Wales including the WTA. The Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has issued a written statement which gives an update on the statutory licensing scheme and shares the full consultation analysis and a report of the supplementary consultation discussions. 

The full written statement can be found here: Written Statement: Update on a statutory licensing scheme for all visitor accommodation providers in Wales.

​The statutory licensing regime for FHLs in Scotland continues to be beleaguered by legal challenge and backlogs.  The public consultation for licensing legislation in Wales also threw up more objections than would have been anticipated a few years ago, even though there is no intention to replicate the Scottish system.  An update meeting from Welsh Government, due this week, has been postponed but we will notify members when that has been rescheduled.