London boroughs want to keep half any tourist tax

"Tourists travel from near and far to visit London."

"We're giving the city powers to harness this through the visitor levy, and to invest in economic growth, including the visitor economy."

"We're still consulting on what the levy will look like and will set out next steps in due course."

London Councils recommends boroughs retain at least half of funds raised locally by any overnight visitor levy so funds can be reinvested in local services. The government is refining proposals to allow directly elected mayors to introduce the levy to support growth and cover extra expenses in busy visitor areas. The charge could fund street cleaning, licensing, local business support and community safety. Boroughs expect to work with the London mayor to decide how remaining funds are spent and to ensure equitable support across all parts of the city. The levy would apply to all commercially let short-term accommodation.

Read at www.bbc.com