Wales tourist tax 2027: only Cardiff charges, £1.30 a night
Key Highlights
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Only Cardiff charges a tourist tax in Wales in 2027. From 1 April 2027 the visitor levy there is £1.30 per person per night (75p for hostel beds and tent pitches), added to what your accommodation costs.
The other councils have said no or not yet, so a trip to Snowdonia, Anglesey or Conwy carries no levy next year. That matters if you are pricing a group trip, because the fee is per person per night and a big party feels it. Below: who charges, who does not, and what real stays cost.
- Where: only Cardiff Council has introduced the levy, for stays from 1 April 2027. Anglesey said no, Conwy postponed, Gwynedd has not decided, and Powys has only surveyed opinion.
- How much: £1.30 per person per night for hotels, B&Bs, rentals, static caravans and caravan pitches. 75p for hostel dorm beds and tent pitches.
- Children: under-18s are free only at the 75p rate. The guidance names no under-18 exemption at £1.30, so budget for them in hotels and rentals.
- No nightly cap: the only exemption is a booking that entitles everyone to stay more than 31 nights, counted whether or not the nights are consecutive.
- Cardiff rugby weekends: Wales's two home Six Nations matches come before the levy starts, so those weekends carry no levy.
Which parts of Wales charge a tourist tax in 2027?
Only Cardiff charges a tourist tax in Wales as of 3 November 2026. The Welsh Government's council check page says "Cardiff Council starts the levy on 1 April 2027," and lists no other council as consulting.
| Council area | Status as of 3 November 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | Charges from 1 April 2027 | Welsh Government |
| Anglesey | Decided not to introduce it "at this stage" | Nation.Cymru, 27 September 2026 |
| Conwy | Postponed on 24 September 2026, "no plans" to introduce | Visit Conwy |
| Gwynedd | No decision yet, returning to Full Council | Cyngor Gwynedd |
| Powys | Ran a public survey (24 August to 30 September 2026), "not proposing" a levy; any decision left to the council elected in May 2027 | Nation.Cymru, 24 August 2026 |
| All other councils | None listed as charging or consulting | Welsh Government |
Councils choose for themselves. The law lets each one opt in, but only after consulting local communities, and the money must be spent on local tourism costs such as toilets, footpaths and beaches.
Why nobody else can start before 2028
A council that wants to charge must announce the levy a year in advance, and can start only on 1 April or 1 October. That is a rule, not a forecast.
The arithmetic is ours, not an announcement. A 1 October 2027 start would have needed notice by 1 October 2026, and no council other than Cardiff is listed as having given it. A council giving notice now reaches its twelve months in November 2027, and the next start date after that is 1 April 2028. For a 2027 trip, we'd treat Cardiff as the only place where the fee can appear.
Gwynedd is the one to watch. Its page says it will return to Full Council for a final decision, and initial results showed 68.5% of respondents to its consultation opposed a levy, according to Nation.Cymru. We would not plan around a Gwynedd levy.
How much is the Wales visitor levy per night?
As of November 2026, the Wales visitor levy is £1.30 per person per night for most accommodation, and 75p for hostel beds and tents. The Welsh Government's levy page sets both rates, and Welsh Ministers can change them later.
The technical guidance for providers spells out what sits in each band.
| Accommodation type | Rate per person per night |
|---|---|
| Hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses | £1.30 |
| Self-catering: cottages, lodges, holiday lets, glamping pods | £1.30 |
| Spare rooms and homestays, including those booked on Airbnb | £1.30 |
| Caravan, motorhome and campervan pitches | £1.30 |
| Shared dormitory or shared-room bed spaces | 75p |
| Tent pitches | 75p |
Your host pays the levy to the Welsh Revenue Authority, not you. The host can absorb it or pass it on, and if it is passed on it may show on your bill.
VAT can sit on top
If the property is VAT-registered and passes the levy on, VAT is due on the total amount you pay. At the 20% rate, that turns £1.30 into £1.56. If the host absorbs the levy and keeps the price the same, there is no extra VAT.
What a Cardiff stay costs with the levy added
A normal Cardiff stay adds between a couple of pounds and about £25, depending on how many people share the room. Here are five stays, worked from the published rates.
| Stay | Levy for the whole party |
|---|---|
| Solo, 3 nights, hostel dorm | 2.25 |
| Couple, 3 nights, hotel | 7.80 |
| Family tent, 5 nights | 7.50 |
| Family of four, 4 nights, hotel (children counted) | 20.80 |
| Six friends, 3 nights, rental | 23.40 |
Every figure multiplies people by nights by the published rate, before any VAT. The family tent pays only for two adults, because under-18s are disregarded at the 75p rate. The hotel family of four pays for all four, because the guidance names no under-18 exemption at £1.30. If your property says otherwise, take £5.20 per child-night off that bar.
So six friends in one rental pay the most in total, but only £3.90 each over three nights. For a group, the levy is a rounding error next to the room rate. We'd put it in the budget as a line, not a worry.
What it means per head
A single night costs the same £1.30 whether you pay £60 or £260 for the room. That flat rate is the main difference from percentage levies elsewhere in the UK.
Edinburgh's levy, for instance, is 5% of the cost of accommodation, capped at five nights. A couple on a three-night Edinburgh stay at £600 pays £30 in levy. The same couple in Cardiff pays £7.80, whatever the room costs.
Does a Six Nations weekend in Cardiff pay the levy?
No. The levy applies to stays from 1 April 2027, and Wales's home Six Nations matches come earlier. The Welsh Rugby Union's fixture announcement has Wales v Ireland at the Principality Stadium on Saturday 20 February 2027. The England match is the other home game, in round four, and the final round is on 13 March, so both fall before 1 April.
That is the best kind of news for a group booking. Your Cardiff match weekend will cost the room rate and nothing more. Anything you book for April onwards, including a post-Easter city break, does carry it.
The Welsh Government's wording is "stays from 1 April 2027". Our reading is that a trip spanning the end of March is charged only for nights from 1 April, but the page does not spell that out. Ask the property how it will split the bill.
The exceptions people get wrong
Five details catch visitors out: children, long stays, bookings you change, Airbnb and static caravans, and refunds.
Children are free at 75p, not at £1.30
Children are free only at the lower rate. The guidance disregards "a person aged under 18 on the first night" for lower-rate stays only. For hotels and rentals it gives no separate children's rule, so we'd assume children are counted. If you are booking a family stay, ask the property in writing.
Long stays and added nights
A stay is outside the levy where the contract entitles a guest to stay more than 31 nights, whether or not those nights are consecutive. A hotel booking for 40 nights is the guidance's own example. Anything up to 31 nights pays for every night.
Bookings you change
The levy applies to new bookings and to adding more nights or visitors to existing bookings for stays from 1 April 2027. The page does not say whether a stay you booked long before, for dates after 1 April, is treated differently. Ask the property before you assume either way.
Airbnb, spare rooms and static caravans
Airbnb guests and spare-room guests pay the levy. The technical guidance names homestays or spare rooms, such as those booked on Airbnb in the £1.30 band. Static caravans get no rate of their own: the guidance treats a static let for short stays as visitor accommodation, and everything outside the hostel and tent categories pays £1.30. Expect £1.30 and confirm with the provider.
Refunds in three cases
Refunds exist for three situations. Visitors can apply to the Welsh Revenue Authority if they were acting as a carer for a disabled person, were temporarily homeless, or were fleeing harm. More refund guidance is due before April 2027.
Budgeting the levy on a group trip to Cardiff
Four checks before you book a Cardiff stay for April 2027 or later:
- Confirm the property is in the City of Cardiff Only Cardiff Council's area charges, so a stay just outside it does not.
- Ask whether the levy is in the price or on top The host pays the Welsh Revenue Authority and may absorb it or pass it on.
- Ask how children and VAT are handled Children appear to count at £1.30 because the guidance names no exemption, so ask. VAT can lift it to £1.56 when it is passed on.
- Keep the receipt Refunds for carers, temporarily homeless visitors and people fleeing harm go through the Welsh Revenue Authority.
If the host itemises the levy, log it as its own line so nobody finds a £23 gap at checkout. In TripProf you can add it as a shared expense and split it across the party. Our guide to splitting trip costs fairly with friends covers the method, and our overview of Europe's tourist taxes shows where else overnight levies are spreading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a tourist tax in Wales in 2027?
Only in Cardiff. Cardiff Council starts the visitor levy on 1 April 2027, and the Welsh Government lists no other council as charging. Anglesey has decided against it, Conwy has postponed, and Gwynedd has not decided.
How much is the Wales tourist tax per night?
It is £1.30 per person per night for hotels, B&Bs, rentals and caravan pitches, and 75p for shared hostel rooms and tent pitches. VAT can add 20% if the property is VAT-registered and passes it on.
Is there a tourist tax in Snowdonia?
No. Snowdonia sits mostly in Gwynedd and Conwy. Conwy has postponed any levy and Gwynedd has not decided, so no levy applies there in 2027.
Is there a tourist tax in North Wales?
Not as of 3 November 2026. Anglesey decided not to introduce one, Conwy postponed its decision, and Gwynedd is still deciding. Any new levy needs a year's notice, so none can start in 2027.
Do children pay the Wales visitor levy?
Under-18s are disregarded only at the 75p rate, in hostels and on tent pitches. The guidance gives no child exemption at the £1.30 rate, so we would budget for children in hotels and rentals.
Does the Wales tourist tax apply to static caravans?
Expect £1.30. The guidance treats a static caravan let for short stays as visitor accommodation, and everything outside the hostel and tent categories pays £1.30. Confirm with the provider.
Do Welsh residents pay the visitor levy too?
Yes, as far as the wording goes. The levy applies to each person entitled under the contract to stay overnight, and residence is not a condition in that wording.
When does the Cardiff visitor levy start?
It applies to stays from 1 April 2027. Cardiff providers have been accounting for it since 28 September 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Cardiff is the only place that charges. The levy starts for stays from 1 April 2027, and on our reading of the notice rules no other council can follow before 2028.
- The fee is small and flat. £1.30 per person per night, or 75p for hostel beds and tents, so a six-person weekend adds about £23.
- Children are free only at 75p. The guidance names no under-18 exemption at £1.30, so budget for them in hotels and rentals unless the property confirms otherwise.
- Six Nations weekends are levy-free. Wales's home matches fall in February and March, before the start date.
- Log it as its own line. If the host itemises the levy, a separate expense entry keeps the group total honest.
Last verified 3 November 2026, against the Welsh Government's visitor levy pages, the Cyngor Gwynedd and Conwy County Borough Council levy pages, Nation.Cymru's reports on Anglesey, Conwy, Gwynedd and Powys, and the Welsh Rugby Union fixture announcement. Councils can still change course, so check the Welsh Government's council page before you book anything that starts after 1 April 2027.
Sources
- Welsh Government: Visitor Levy in Wales
- Welsh Government: Check if your local council charges Visitor Levy
- Welsh Government: Visitor Levy technical guidance for accommodation providers
- Welsh Government: Visitor Levy overview for accommodation providers
- Welsh Government: Visitor levy to support tourism becomes law, 18 September 2025
- Cyngor Gwynedd: Tourism levy and registration of visitor accommodation
- Conwy County Borough Council: Visitor levy
- Nation.Cymru: Tourism industry welcomes councils' decisions to hold off on visitor levy, 27 September 2026
- Welsh Rugby Union: Wales men's 2027 Six Nations fixtures confirmed
- City of Edinburgh Council: Edinburgh declares Scotland's first visitor levy
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