Leading travel experts have called on local authorities in popular tourist areas to introduce motorhome and campervan taxes to manage the flow of staycationers during peak times.
Millions of drivers will be travelling around the UK this summer to make use of the warm weather and extended time off from work and school.
Many will also be driving to Scotland to see some of the UK’s most stunning sites, although some experts are calling for more sanctions on those who bring larger vehicles to quieter areas.
Scotland passed the Visitor Levy Bill at the end of May which was confirmed as an Act on July 5, 2024, and is designed to allow a visitor levy to be charged on overnight stays in some types of accommodation.
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Scotland recently introduced new rules that could see staycationers pay extra charges
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The outline of the Bill states that a certain amount of money would be paid to the local authority every time someone stays overnight in places like hotels, B&Bs or holiday cottages.
Each authority would be able to introduce a charge and set its own level of what the charge should be, with more popular areas likely to call for extra fees.
Some local business owners in parts of the Highlands in Scotland have called for the introduction of a similar tourist tax to pay for maintenance and infrastructure.
Motorhome drivers believe they have additional access rights thanks to “Right to Roam” legislation as this is not considered to be “wild camping”, The Telegraph reported.
As a result, drivers could be slapped with fines for staying in their motorhomes or campervans when parked overnight in marked laybys, car parks and other areas.
This comes as travel expert Simon Calder suggested using a tourist tax to raise money for areas frequented by motorhome and campervan owners.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, he suggested that councils and local authorities could set their own limits, as outlined in the Visitor Levy Bill.
He added: “I think you could be looking very much at campervan taxes, particularly for the Western Isles.
“They are using the facilities but not necessarily contributing because as everyone knows they have stocked up in the supermarkets in Ullapool or Inverness.
“You need them to say, OK, £20 a day or £15 a day, whatever it takes, but it’s only going to apply from June to September or maybe in July and August.”
Calder continued, saying that local authorities shouldn’t “mess around” with small amounts of money, calling on them to “go big”, the Stornoway Gazette reported.
According to VisitScotland, residents of Great Britain took 13.5 million overnight trips in Scotland, spending £3.4billion in 2022 alone.
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Motorhome owners frequently travel to Scotland
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With the cost of living and the cost of motoring still dominating people’s lives, drivers could choose to visit somewhere closer to home to get good value for money, as well as visit an area they may not have previously travelled to.
More than one-third of trips taken in 2022 to Scotland were designated as holidays, while three in 10 said they were visiting to see friends or relatives.
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