will this london borough get a 'tourist tax' in the future?

Brixton is a south London jewel. But will its visitors be taxed soon for seeing its sights? (Pictures: Molly Lee/Metro Graphics)

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You might expect a tourist tax in the West End or in Camden. But what about Brixton?

That’s the plan Lambeth council is weighing up,echoing what has happened in tourist hotspots like Edinburgh,Manchester and Bhutan.

Lambeth,stretching across south London,covers the suburban areas of Streatham Common and Norwood all the way up to tourist hot spot areas of Waterloo and the South Bank.

It’s also home to the Kia Oval,home of Surrey County Cricket Club and a key sports venue for England’s test matches,as well as Clapham High Street where the infamous spot of Infernos,Margot Robbie’s favourite club,resides.

While a late night levy in the high tourism areas might make sense,what do local businesses think?

One highlight in the area is Brixton Village – a colourful market hub of unique food,drink and local businesses just a stone’s throw from Brixton’s O2 Academy.

Despite all it has to offer,the market has faced a reduced footfall in recent years,making it difficult for shops to keep their doors open.

Brixton Village is not as busy as it once was,with many shoppers going online (Picture: Metro/Molly Lee)

One shop worker in the market,who declined to give her name,believes the tourist tax will only make matters worse.

She told Metro: ‘It’s a terrible idea for Brixton as we already have issues with footfall. Taxing people on top of that,in this economy,is not going to help.

‘We don’t need any more disincentives to come in the area and stay. We just need ways of encouraging people and not adding an extra barrier to it.’

Nowhere in London currently has a tourist tax in place,which is why there is much confusion as to why Lambeth might be the first place to have one for the capital.

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‘We want to see a joined-up approach which makes sure the whole of Lambeth benefits and not just the wealthier parts of the borough.’

The world's most expensive tourist taxes

Los AngelesThey impose a 15.5% tax on total accommodation bookings. For an average-priced holiday rental at $275 per night,tourists would be charged $43 per day in tax.Bhutan,Eastern HimalayasUntil September 2022,they charged a daily tourist fee of $250 for every day spent in the country. It has been reduced to $100 per day.Washington DCIf you want to go see the Lincoln Memorial or U.S Capitol,you’ll have to pay a 14.95% tax on accommodation. This results in an average nightly tax of $41 on a rental price of $275 per night.New York CityThey charge $3.50 per person nightly fee alongside a 14.75% tax on total bookings.Montreal,CanadaAlthough the tourist tax is 3.5% on accommodation priced over $30 per night,it is a proportionally high. For example,the tax would be $28.50 on an average $95 per night.Source: Forbes and Lonely Planet