Wales to TAX tourists as furious row breaks out over plans to squeeze £33m a year from visitors

Hostels and campsites will not be exempt either, but will be charged at a reduced 75p per person.

The new law will be voted on by the Senedd this afternoon and is set to give local authorities the power to implement the levy, but does not require them to do so.

Ex-First Minister and Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: "We think it is fair visitors contribute towards local facilities, helping to fund infrastructure and services integral to their experience."

The charges will be subject to VAT, with children under 18 exempt at hostels and campsites.

Welsh Government estimates suggest the levy could generate up to £33million annually if all councils adopt it, though an impact assessment has warned that visitor numbers may fall as a result.

Projections for job impacts, meanwhile, range from 100 new positions in the best-case scenario to 390 job losses in the worst case.

The economic impact, meanwhile, could span from a £10.8million boost to a £7.3million reduction when public spending is factored in.

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Estimates without public sector spending warn of losses between £9.1million and £26.8million.

Individual councils will decide whether to implement the charges, which can be increased after one year with Welsh Government agreement.

The Welsh Conservatives have pledged to scrap the tourism tax if elected next May, with Shadow Finance Cabinet Secretary Sam Rowlands warning the plans "will harm the economy to the tune of tens of millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs every single year".

Several councils have already ruled out implementing the levy, including the Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Newport.

But Cardiff Council leader Huw Thomas has indicated he wants to introduce the policy in the capital, while Anglesey has backed the idea in principle.

Reform UK, hoping to secure Senedd seats for the first time, said the tax would "hurt local businesses and cost rural jobs".

And Plaid Cymru's Luke Fletcher said the law would allow councils "to start the journey towards a sustainable tourism sector that works both for tourists and businesses alike".

Under the law, revenue must be spent on managing and improving tourist destinations, including facilities like toilets, footpaths, beaches and visitor centres, as well as promoting the Welsh language.

The Welsh Tourism Alliance has raised concerns that councils won't need to focus spending specifically on tourism, while Mid Wales Tourism's Suzy Davies said the levy had "long ceased to be a tourism tax" as it applies to "staying in visitor accommodation for any reason".