Glenn Ford
@broomview71
helping the Scottish Gov & Edinburgh council understand that the selfcatering accommodation legislation is flawed and disproportionate (particularly Edinburgh)
How SNP and Labour are putting future of Scottish tourism industry at risk - my latest @TheScotsman column scotsman.com/news/opinion/c…
Scotland’s hard-pressed tourist industry can’t afford a visitor levy - today’s @TheScotsman column scotsman.com/news/opinion/c…
The @ASSCnews has criticised Ross Greer MSP’s latest proposal to impose punitive taxes on short-term lets in an apparent attempt to protect Gaelic-speaking communities. The industry has labelled his barmy plans as an evidence-free and ideologically driven fixation. Indeed, this…
Data from @InsideAirbnb has a licence number. Only 1,364 of 5,936 listings display an @Edinburgh_CC licence number. This would suggest just 23% of all listings are properly licensed with >75% giving the law the finger 🤔 Meanwhile legal operators are being shut down. #SaveSC
The booming black market of unlicensed, potentially unsafe, accom in Edi steps meets festival demand after the @Edinburgh_CC blanket ban has shutdown longstanding licensed operators.. all enabled by the botched STL licensing scheme. @MairiMcAllan assc.co.uk/industry-news/…
Reeves going ahead with pushing pensions into IHT net. At the same time as wanting people to save more into pensions. No point in saying most people don't pay IHT... everyone is beginning to understand fiscal drag...
Edinburgh is filthy - it's hardly a surprise though when a joint NHS and Edinburgh Council venture in the heart of the Old Town is in squalor @Edinburgh_CC @STVNews @TheScotsman @edinburghpaper
📢 Visitor Levy Implementation Concerns – Joint Industry Response On 14 July, the ASSC joined key tourism bodies in co-signing a formal letter to the City of Edinburgh Council raising urgent concerns about the Visitor Levy’s rushed implementation. 📅 With just under three…
The Edinburgh city council closed down self-catering though planning. At same time Aparthotels and black market tourism flourish. Shocking.
Despite Lord Braid's ruling, @Edinburgh_CC continues to retrospectively blanket-ban all safe, legal, licenced self-catering businesses through planning. An absolute scandal-who are the main players pushing the destruction of local businesses? Investigation needed @EdinburghLive_
Despite Lord Braid's ruling, @Edinburgh_CC continues to retrospectively blanket-ban all safe, legal, licenced self-catering businesses through planning. An absolute scandal-who are the main players pushing the destruction of local businesses? Investigation needed @EdinburghLive_
I get taxed on what I earn. Then I get taxed on what I spend. Then they tax what I save. And even when I die - they still want a cut. So here’s a serious question: Where’s the value? Where’s the ROI on all these taxes I pay? Can you honestly say you’re getting your money’s…
26% VAT + VL, NDR, License fee, private rubbish removal (not part of NDR) plus Corporation or Income (higher in Scotland) Tax. After high energy/water/high wages/high inflation/high costs of borrowing....Scotland is one of the least competitive markets in the world = Tiny profit
Rinsing visitors of a further 5% to take the total take to 26% smacks of greed and a desperation to prop up council budgets.. with zero care given to the impact on the local economy. @thesnp Stronger for Scotland? @Ivan_McKee
Glasgow City Councillors have approved a 5% #VisitorLevy starting in January 2027. 26% direct tax on tourism with VAT, VL, and VAT on VL. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
"Tourism is not a cash cow – it is a vital economic and cultural driver for Glasgow. Policy decisions must support its recovery and resilience, not risk further damage through rushed or disproportionate taxation models.” Fiona Campbell MBE ASSC CEO The decision places Glasgow…
“Glasgow City Council’s decision to proceed with a 5% tourist tax is deeply concerning and risks undermining the city’s fragile tourism economy at a time when operators are already grappling with increasing costs, regulatory burdens and reduced bookings." bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…
In 🏴 @thesnp have ploughed on with economically damaging schemes like the visitor levy and STL licensing compounding the damage to the visitor economy caused by Westminster. Stronger for Scotland? @_KateForbes @Ivan_McKee
Hospitality has now lost 84,000 jobs since Budget as figure increases by 13,000 in a month The hospitality sector has now lost 84,000 jobs since @RachelReevesMP Budget, according to new figures from ONS. It shows the industry has been the hardest hit sector of the economy
I researched the visitor levy and globally only one country beats the combined levy take of 26% (20% vat+5% TVL+1% due to VAT on TVL) and that's Bhutan. We sure like shooting ourselves in the foot.
On the visitor levy, we have always been minded that if it was (is) to happen, then it should be a flat rate similar to Manchester and not % based. What we don’t want to see is this being a tool for LAs to use to generate money from business to fund a local funding deficit
Spot on focus from @CllrIsabelleMac. Having over 100k empty homes nationally when we are in the middle of a housing crisis is scandalous. ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/empty-hom…
A great example of the @scotgov working with the sector to fix a problem damaging our visitor economy. @Ivan_McKee 👏👏 We need the same spirit to improve the complex visitor levy, botched STL licensing and imprecise Use Class definitions. @MairiMcAllan
VICTORY for Scotland’s self-catering sector! Thanks to relentless lobbying by the ASSC, the Scottish Gov will amend flawed NDR regulations that saw legitimate businesses wrongly hit with Council Tax. 🧵👇 A huge relief for many.
Two cross-party Scottish Parliament motions have been lodged congratulating our CEO Fiona Campbell MBE on her King’s Honours recognition for services to Scottish tourism👏 Read more:assc.co.uk/industry-news/… @scotgov @FionaCampbell74 @st_alliance