Aberdyfi Town Council has resolved to respond to Gwynedd Council’s consultation on tourist tax.

The consultation launch was discussed and agreed at Gwynedd’s Full Council meeting on 14 May.

Cllr Dewi Owen raised the matter during his report to Aberdyfi Town Council on 18 May.

According to the minutes of that meeting, Cllr Owen urged everyone to respond to the consultation “as it has divided opinion at Gwynedd Council”.

Gwynedd Council believe the levy will initially raise £2- £4 million, rising to £12 million in about 10 years. This will be raised from charges between 75p and £1.30 per night depending on accommodation type, but Aberdyfi Town Council have questions about how it will be administered and how much administration will cost versus income generated.

Town Council asked Cllr Owen if income generated from Aberdyfi would be ring fenced for Aberdyfi projects, but he said he has not had a satisfactory answer to this and again urged everyone to respond to the survey asking these types of questions.

Aberdyfi Town Council resolved to respond to the consultation.

Gwynedd Council agreed on 14 May to launch a consultation on the levy following Cllr Medwyn Hughes’ report to the meeting.

He said: “The reason for considering a visitor levy in Gwynedd was to ensure that the visitor sector, which brings significant economic benefits, contributes fairly to the costs of the pressure it creates on local services – the environment, our language and our communities.

“The levy offers a local, transparent and sustainable approach to reinvesting in the visitor economy for the benefit of local residents and businesses.

“The current situation as we know is that there are millions of visits to Gwynedd every year, which are creating increasing pressure on local services at a time when public budgets are under strain.

“That is why we have adopted the Gwynedd and Eryri 25 plan to ensure a sustainable visitor economy in the area.

“According to the Welsh Government, the levy is a possible solution as it requires a small contribution from overnight visitors which would be reinvested locally with local management and transparency.

“I would like to emphasise that the levy proposal is not an anti-tourism development, but an attempt to try and manage and strengthen the visitor economy in a way that is sustainable for Gwynedd in the long term.”

Commenting on where the levy money might be spent, he said: “Income from the levy should be invested in projects and activities that are in line with the sustainable visitor economy. Potential investments include cultural schemes, supporting events, the language, protecting and promoting the environment, improving toilets, better public transport, business and community grants and marketing the area and possibly better enforcement of motorhomes parking illegally.”

Cllr Steve Churchman proposed deferring the consultation for 12 months to see how the process goes in neighbouring communities. Eleven people voted in favour of that, but 34 voted against and two abstained.

Forty-three voted for the original proposal to launch the consultation, with three voting against and one abstention.

To take part in the consultation, visit https://shorturl.at/gC17q.