Three North Wales councils hold off on a visitor levy

TL;DR

• Anglesey's Full Council voted on September 24, 2026 not to adopt Wales's visitor levy. Conwy deferred its decision the same day, and Gwynedd says it cannot yet decide.
• None of the three could have charged guests in April 2027. Welsh councils must give 12 months' notice and start levies on April 1 or October 1. Cardiff alone has agreed to charge, from April 1, 2027.
• Every visitor accommodation provider in Wales must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by March 31, 2027, whether or not its council charges. Registration is free and open now.

Anglesey's Full Council voted on September 24, 2026 not to adopt Wales's visitor levy. Conwy deferred its decision the same day, and Gwynedd says it is not yet able to decide.

None of the three could have charged guests in April 2027. The Welsh Government requires 12 months' notice, and a levy can start only on April 1 or October 1. The Welsh Government's list of councils that will charge shows Cardiff alone.

Anglesey rejected the levy, Conwy deferred it and Gwynedd has no decision date

Anglesey's council report recommended that the council not adopt the levy. Of 2,098 consultation responses, 70.8% opposed it and 25.1% supported it. The Full Council backed that recommendation. Anglesey says it will keep watching other Welsh councils' levies, according to a council statement. Council leader Gary Pritchard cited uncertainty over VAT on hospitality among his reasons, ITV Wales reports. The report also asks the chief executive to write to the Welsh Government requesting a review of the legislation.

Conwy's Full Council voted 29 to 9 to defer, Herald.Wales reports. The council wants more evidence, including data from the national accommodation register. Among 985 valid answers to the main consultation question, 62.1% opposed the levy and 33.8% supported it.

Gwynedd's consultation drew 6,856 responses, more than three times Anglesey's total. Its report said the council was "not currently in a position to make a decision", Nation.Cymru reports. On September 24 the Full Council accepted the report. It agreed to receive a further one once the analysis is complete, the Daily Post reports. Across all respondents, 68.5% opposed the levy.

No Welsh council outside Cardiff could have charged a levy in April 2027

The Welsh Government's guidance for councils sets a notice period of at least 12 months before a levy starts. Gwynedd's own timetable gave October 2027 as its earliest start. The council now cannot say when it could give notice.

Cardiff Council approved its levy in March 2026, and it applies to stays from April 1, 2027. Guests pay £1.30 per person per night in most accommodation, children included. Adults in hostels and campsites pay 75p. The levy covers stays of 31 nights or less, and VAT applies where the provider is VAT-registered. Cardiff providers had to start accounting for it from September 28, 2026, the Welsh Government says.

Every Welsh accommodation provider must register by March 31, 2027, levy or not

Registration with the Welsh Revenue Authority is free and open now. The Welsh Government's registration guidance says anyone taking bookings of 31 nights or less must register by law. It names hotels, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses. That applies even where the council does not introduce a levy. A provider that misses the March 31, 2027 deadline may face a penalty. Conwy cited data from the register as a reason to defer.

England has no levy power in force yet, but Liverpool and Manchester already charge

MPs on the hospitality APPG asked for a VAT cut before any English levy. The UK government announced on September 10 that mayors will get the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy. No levy under that power exists yet. A January 2026 North East Lincolnshire Council paper says Liverpool and Greater Manchester already charge. The fees are £2 and £1 per room per night, collected through business improvement districts. A hotel near the border competes with properties that face different charges.

Three things to do this quarter: register, track your council, watch Cardiff

• Register with the Welsh Revenue Authority: Registration is free and open now, and the deadline is March 31, 2027. It applies in all three councils.
• Track your own council's next step: Conwy and Anglesey both said they will watch other Welsh councils' experience. Gwynedd will bring a full report later. Any levy needs 12 months' notice.
• Use Cardiff's first year as the reference: Cardiff's levy starts April 1, 2027. A hotel that competes with Cardiff properties can track how bookings move once it applies.

The 12-month notice rule means a Welsh hotel will normally get a year's warning before any levy reaches it.