Changes to the province’s Local Governance Act will now give local government the option to put in a place a tourism accommodation levy.
It’s a small fee tacked onto the cost of a hotel stay that benefits tourism marketing and local business.
Greater Saint John has had its own tourism accommodation levy in place since 2010.
Margot Cragg, executive director of the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, says the levy is good for growth.
“That money then gets used to enhance local tourism marketing, promote local businesses and tell a story about what a location New Brunswick municipalities are,” she said.
She says the levy helps develop local tourism and business at the benefit of residents.
“What it means is that New Brunswick municipalities have the ability to support their local tourism and their local businesses without raising taxes on their residents,” she said.
Cragg also points out Nova Scotia, PEI and Maine all have tourism levies, putting New Brunswick at a competitive disadvantage.
“Chances are if you’ve traveled else where in North America, you’re already paying this levy, so folks are already raising this money so they can invest it in their local area, and we aren’t,” she said.
Several stakeholders, including regional and provincial tourism groups, municipal associations and cities, expressed interest in implementing this type of levy to promote and develop local tourism.
More information can be found online.
