Tourists heading to the Lake District could soon be taxed for merely entering the national park – a proposal that has been condemned by Cumbria Tourism boss, Gill Haigh.
It comes after the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP) released a report setting out its vision for ‘world-class sustainable travel’ in the park.
In the report, the partnership – which comprises of representatives of business, civil society and the two Cumbrian councils – looked at funding options for sustainable transport.
It further pledged to ‘refine costing for the installation and operation of a vehicle levy’ to enter and move around the park.
Proposals to introduce the levy were sparked by a 2024 study conducted by Friends of the Lake District, which seeks to ‘sustain the rich, diverse, living pattern of landscape, wildlife and culture that makes Cumbria and the Lake District unique’.
In the study, the organisation looked at the impact of tourism in the area, along with various models used across Europe to deal with similar issues.
Although the Lake District has long been established as one of the UK’s most popular hiking and nature spots, visitor numbers has boomed in recent years.
Around 18 million visitors descend on the Cumbrian park each year, dramatically outnumbering its 40,000 inhabitants.
Tourists heading to the Lake District could soon be taxed for entering the park as the Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP) looks to tackle issues caused by overtourism
Around 18 million visitors visit the Lake District – famed for its striking peaks and glacial lakes – each year
Among the issues caused by overtourism in the area are heavy traffic and chaotic parking caused by congested roads.
In its report, the LDNPP said it endeavours to set ‘clear, measurable goals’ for sustainable travel across the Lake District ahead of Cumbria’s first mayoral election in May 2027.
But while Michael Hill, CEO of Friends of the Lake District, praised the LDNPP for highlighting the ‘clear choice between systemic change in the way people travel around the park’, Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, has shared her doubts.
Haigh, who cautioned that local businesses remain in a vulnerable state following the pandemic, further warned that introducing new taxes could ‘upset that fragile economy’.
Speaking to BBC News, she continued: ‘It sounds very easy [to say] “let’s tax the tourist”, but we have to remember the tourist is already very heavily taxed.
‘One of the challenges that we’ve all got is that we’re really feeling it in our pocket and that’s really impacting on our businesses at the moment.’
The LDNPP would collaborate with the new combined authority on feasibility studies once it is operational, according to the report.
It comes as a tourist tax for overnight stays may be introduced in UK towns and cities, as new powers have been granted to local leaders in the latest Budget.
Among the issues caused by overtourism in the area are heavy traffic and chaotic parking caused by congested roads (pictured)
The LDNPP said it endeavours to set ‘clear, measurable goals’ for sustainable travel across the Lake District by 2027
Through changes enabled by the Autumn Budget 2025, city mayors and town officials will have the authority to charge a small fee for overnight stays in accommodations such as hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses and holiday lets.
These levies will bring England in line with other parts of the UK, as well as with top international destinations such as New York, Paris and Milan, where fees on short-term stays have long been commonplace.
On the UK Government website, Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: ‘Tourists travel from near and far to visit England’s brilliant cities and regions.
‘We’re giving our mayors powers to harness this and put more money into local priorities, so they can keep driving growth and investing in these communities for years to come.’
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