Sadiq Khan could be considering a tourist tax for London

Soon, London could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Edinburgh , Manchester and Bournemouth and start charging tourists an extra tax to stay in the city.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is 'happy to look into' a potential tourist tax for London following calls from MPs to introduce a nightly charge for visitors in the capital. Khan said he would look at evidence from other cities like Edinburgh and Manchester, as well as European locations like Barcelona and Paris, all of which charge a tax per night on hotel rooms.

When asked if he would consider something similar for London, Khan said: 'I'm happy to look into where it's worked, what the issues are in relation to that particular policy... We'll be looking at what cities are doing not just across Europe, but in the UK as well.'

Tourist taxes across Europe vary depending on the city and quality of accommodation. For instance, Barcelona tourists, staying in a four-star hotel would pay a charge of €4.95 per night as part of their bill, and in Paris would pay €8.13 per night.

In the UK it's not technically legal to charge a straightforward tourist tax, but local authorities have managed to create them through legal workarounds. For example, in Manchester it is known as the City Visitor Charge and participating hotels are encouraged to itemise it on guests' bills.

It's not certain whether a tourist tax will come to London just yet. Khan added: 'Let's wait and see what the evidence is. I'm somebody who believes in following the evidence.'

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