Proposed £2 a night hotel fee to help scale up Liverpool's events

A proposed £2 a night charge on visitors to Liverpool could help to scale up its events and help the city compete on the international stage.

That’s the message from the city’s hotel and cultural sector as it prepares to vote on the hotel levy as part of the city’s Accommodation BID.

The £2 a night levy could be in place by June. Administered and managed by Liverpool’s Accommodation BID (ABID) it could see £6m invested into the city’s visitor economy, public realm and events calendar. The ballot will open for hotel and serviced apartment accommodation on 27th March with results announced on 24th April. If successful the term would begin on 1st June lasting until 2027.

Laura Pye is the Chief Executive of National Museums Liverpool. She believes the levy could see more investment in the city’s cultural sector.

She said:

“It would allow us to do some of the bigger stuff we want to do in the city. Liverpool as a city is culturally really vibrant and has done fantastic things in terms of the visitor economy but you need to keep ahead of the game. You have to keep investing to keep Liverpool on the front foot as a great destination”.

Annie Brown is the General Manager at the Municipal Spa Hotel in Liverpool. She has also worked in Manchester on the visitor levy as Chair of Manchester Accommodation BID.

She said:

“All UK cities need additional support as funding has changed. It is in the interest of the private sector in the city to both support and develop how we do things in the city centre. When we look at other cities there has been concern about a visitor levy detracting from investment but in reality that hasn’t happened. It’s a small gesture for tourists to pay and it really helps the city to promote itself. In Manchester we learnt how successful it is to work collaboratively and to work with one aim”.

Helen Roberts is the dual General Manager at Holliday Inn Express for Liverpool and Manchester. It is a positive move, she says, that the city needs.

She said:

“There’s a lot that the BID does already in terms of improving the public realm, security and major events, but Liverpool needs this to help it to thrive. Liverpool isn’t the biggest city but it does need to compete on an international stage. We have the same model in Manchester and there has been little or no reaction from guests. The majority are used to it from their visits to European cities so there has been no negativity”.

One of the ambitions is to use the funds generated by the charge to support major events in this city. These attract a national and international audience, increase footfall and the profile of Liverpool as well as encouraging longer stays and visits to the city.

Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, said:

“Major exhibitions and events, like The Terracotta Warriors, can attract a huge audience, generating income both for the visitor economy, the tourism industry and hospitality. What we would love, as both a city and a private sector, is to be able to support so that we can hold events like this much more regularly. The investment we are proposing could really turbo-charge the city’s economy”.