Plans for a ‘tourism tax’ in Wales will be introduced in the Senedd later this month.

The new bill proposes giving local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy, which will be a small charge paid by people staying overnight in visitor accommodation.

Confirming the bill will be introduced in the Senedd on 25 November, the Welsh Government said the levy “will raise additional funds for local authorities to support the long-term sustainability of our tourism industry.”

The plan will also include instigating a national register of all those providing visitor accommodation in Wales to make sure the levy can be collected.

The Welsh Government said: “We have previously consulted on a statutory licensing scheme for visitor accommodation in Wales as a means of helping to establish a level playing field and to ensure visitors have confidence in the high-standards available throughout Wales.

“The registration scheme proposed in the bill is the first step towards that scheme.

“We will be bringing forward the second bill to move us towards a statutory licensing scheme and enable visitor accommodation providers to demonstrate how their accommodation meets certain conditions.

“We will continue to discuss and engage with tourism stakeholders, accommodation providers and local authorities as we progress these proposals.

More than a thousand responses were received to a public consultation about how best to implement a levy.

The consultation found support across most local authorities and across other organisations, although many responses came from representatives of the tourism industry and many disagreed with the principle of a visitor levy.

Andrew RT Davies MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “We’ve been absolutely clear from the start that this policy is the wrong one for Wales.

“A tourism tax will risk jobs at a time when businesses are being clobbered by Labour, it will impose red tape, and it will work against its own aims by encouraging visitors to use more council-maintained attractions and services.

“Our tourism industry should be nurtured by the Welsh Government, not hamstrung by new taxes.”

The levy will be a small charge paid by people staying in commercially-let overnight visitor accommodation.

Local authorities will decide whether to introduce a levy and the funds raised will be used to benefit local areas.

In September, Duncan Hall, Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Lead Officer for Finance and Procurement told a meeting that the county would “benefit” from such a levy.