A leading Lake District holiday park owner says that Cumbria has two years to step back from the potentially disastrous consequences of imposing a tourism tax on visitors.
Henry Wild of Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in Ambleside was speaking after the recent Government decision to allow mayors in England to impose tourism taxes.
Cumbria is to become a mayor-led authority in May 2027, and afterward could introduce a visitor levy on people staying overnight in the Lake District.
Award winning park boss Henry Wild said that moves to impose a levy for overnight stays would be a “totally self-defeating measure”.
Instead of raising local revenues, he said, the number of visitors to Cumbria would be likely to fall as families turn to other destinations that were not imposing tourism taxes.
The effect of fewer holidaymakers, warns Henry, will be felt by a multitude of local businesses – such as shops, cafes and attractions – which rely on the tourism economy.
Henry, a former national chairman of the Holiday and Residential Parks Association (HARPA), said: “Accommodation providers such as holiday parks and hotels pay substantial business rates to the local authority, and these are reflected in the prices we charge to guests.
“In other words, visitors are already putting their hands in their pockets when they stay the night in Cumbria – so a tourism tax would be a double whammy.
“Our businesses also pay for commercial services from the council, such as waste collection and recycling, so that’s another way we help to fill their coffers.
“It should also be remembered that although tens of millions of people visit Cumbria each year, many are day trippers and so won’t be contributing to the levy.
“I believe a strong case for our council to take a long and hard look at the threats this tax poses, and how it could damage local businesses already paying their way.”
Henry has now issued an open invitation for council chiefs to meet him if they would like to weigh up the economic implications of bringing in a tourism tax in two years’ time.
Meanwhile, the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP) has now confirmed it has ruled out recommending the use of a ‘vehicle levy’ to visiting vehicles in a bid to fund sustainable transport improvements.
Industry leaders said a charge would reduce overcrowding that has caused parking issues, which has seen tourist vehicles blocking key routes. Politicians want to make it easier for tourists to use public transport, such as buses, to travel around the Lake District.
The move sparked opposition from Cumbria Tourism. Its managing director, Gill Haigh, told the BBC that “new taxes would upset the fragile economy”.
“It sounds very easy [to say] ‘let’s tax the tourist’,” she said, “but we have to remember the tourist is already very heavily taxed.
“One of the challenges that we’ve all got is that we’re really feeling it in our pocket and that’s really impacting our businesses at the moment.”
Celia Caulcott, Chair of the Lake District National Park Partnership, said: “The Lake District National Park Partnership commissioned the ‘Sustainable Funding of Sustainable Transport in the Lake District’ report following Partnership discussions around a visitor levy.
“The recommendations in the report were not progressed, including the refinement of costing around a visitor vehicle tax. Instead, Partners agreed to work with relevant authorities to create and deliver a plan for improvements in sustainable and active travel.
“This would give the Partnership requisite scope to maintain a flexible and informed position on this area of emerging interest, particularly given the establishment of the Cumbria Mayoral Combined Authority in 2026 and likely powers to be devolved to that Authority.“The Lake District National Park Partnership Plan 2026-2031 remains ongoing and we encourage everyone to have their say by completing the survey at www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/partnershipconsultation.”
