A call has been made to delay the start of Edinburgh’s visitor levy until next year in response to concerns from tourism bodies.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance, a coalition of tourism and hospitality firms, wrote to council leader Jane Meagher in July, raising concerns about the levy.

It said that, in the absence of practical guidance on how the levy would be implemented, the October 2025 deadline to start the levy is impractical.

Now, an Edinburgh councillor is asking for the launch of the levy to be delayed until at least the start of 2026 in order to give more time for businesses to prepare.

Conservative councillor and group leader Iain Whyte has filed a motion for Thursday’s full council meeting requesting the delay “in light of concerns highlighted”.

It asks the council to agr

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