Should councils have the power to tax cruise ships arriving in Scotland?

Businesses have weighed in on what impact a cruise ship levy would have as the Scottish Government’s public consultation heads to closing date.

The Scottish Government has opened public consultations on whether to give local authorities the power to impose a cruise ship passenger levy across Scottish ports.

If approved, Scotland would be the first in the United Kingdom to have such a levy.

This has sparked debate in Greenock, especially among business owners that used to benefit from the footfall of tourists before the terminal was moved.

Mairi Coventry runs a knitting and souvenir shop off the high street in Greenock.

She told STV News: “The cruise ship passengers really gave me a boost in the summer of 2019 when I just opened my shop.”

Shop owner Mairi Coventry says footfall has decreased in recent years STV News

Mairi has put a map up her wall with pins on countries that people have come from all over the world to her shop, some as far as the northern tip of Russia.

“When they were using the container terminal for customers to come in, everybody walked on the main street.

“Now tourists come off a different area and they don’t walk on the main street anymore and this has really hit businesses.”

Even though the levy may be the final nail on the coffin for her businesses, Mairi is in support of the levy.

Justina Mitchell who runs Café Mo’r suffered a similar fate. She too is in favour of the levy.

“If Inverclyde Council was getting the benefit from the money that was directly coming from these passengers and it was invested to keep people in the area, to keep people in Greenock, then yes.”

Tourists had their say on the cruise ship levy plans STV News

Towering over Port Greenock was the Regal Princess, carrying over 4,000 passengers, but most by-passing Inverclyde and heading towards Glasgow, Loch Lomond and Edinburgh.

Passengers from the ship weren’t happy about the news of a potential cruise ship levy.

“No, we are already paying enough,” said one from Australia.

“I wouldn’t want to pay it, but if it happens, I’m ok with that,” said an American tourist.

Another Australian couple said: “If it means it will increase our price of fares, then it will be a bit of a challenge.

“It will affect the tourist industry.”

Passengers outside the terminal in Greenock STV News

“It will just increase our rates if we want to come back on a cruise ship,” said another American tourist.

Last year 1,000 cruise ships docked at Scottish ports, drawing in over one million passengers and injecting £130m into the economy.

Invergordon, Kirkwall, Edinburgh, Lerwick, and Greenock are the Scottish ports that receive the highest number of cruise ship visits.

Kirsty Hutchison, from Cruise Scotland, said: “We believe a cruise levy would send the wrong signal at a time when the country is building a strong reputation as an attractive destination.’’

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are aware that a cruise ship levy in Scotland would be the first such levy in the United Kingdom, and we will need to carefully consider market implications and the effect on local economies and communities of such a levy.”

Port of Cromarty Firth warned a Highlands cruise levy could have a damaging impact on the regional economy, potentially costing businesses millions of pounds in revenue and adversely affecting the communities that heavily rely on the money tourism brings.

Inverclyde Council said they have agreed to the levy in principle.

Council leader Stephen McCabe said: “We can spend the money in making our town centre was clean and tidy for visitors coming, which will benefit both tourist and residents.

“We can also provide support to our local tourist group and local businesses to take advantage of the tourism sector.”

The consultation ends on May 30.