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Local politicians in Edinburgh have approved a tourist tax for visitors staying overnight the Scottish capital, introducing the first charge of its kind in the United Kingdom, CNN reported.

From mid-2026, visitors staying in certain types of accommodation, such a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel, self-catering apartment or guest house, will be charged a fee of 5% of their accommodation cost per night. The charge is capped at five consecutive nights, according to the local authority.

Accommodation providers will be responsible for collecting the fee on behalf of the authority.

Ahead of the vote, Jane Meagher, head of City of Edinburgh Council, told councillors that tourism “puts strain on the city’s resources,” which needs funds to develop “in a planned and sustainable way.”

In 2023, Edinburgh received nearly 5 million overnight visitors, who spent £2.2 billion ($2.7 billion), according to national tourism body Visit Scotland’s website.

The council expects the new fee to raise £45-50 million ($56-62 million) a year by 2028 or 2029.

A tourist tax in Edinburgh has been under discussion since 2018 and became possible when the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act came into effect in July.

Under the act, revenue from the levy must be used to support local facilities and services that business and leisure visitors use heavily, according to the City of Edinburgh Council website.