‘All options’ still open to fund Capital promotion

Marketing chiefs have not “ruled in or ruled out” options to raise money to promote Edinburgh.

City council officials are looking into the feasibility of introducing a “bed tax” – where hotel guests would pay an extra £1 or £2 on top of their room rate to help the city grow – after councillors agreed with the idea in principle.

But a “city-wide business improvement district”, where firms with a rateable value of more than £50,000 would pay an extra levy on top of their business rates to fund the work of Marketing Edinburgh, is also being discussed.

Marketing Edinburgh chief executive Lucy Bird said: “We’re exploring all potential funding streams, alongside consulting on our priorities. We haven’t ruled anything in or out.”

Hoteliers, who are against a bed tax, are willing to support a city-wide BID, and Edinburgh Airport has also backed the scheme.