Cardiff Visitor Levy Adds £1.30 Per Night From April 2027

Cardiff is introducing a visitor levy from 1st April 2027, meaning some overnight stays will cost a little more. Find out how much the levy is, who pays it and which stays are affected.

Staying overnight in Cardiff will cost a little more for some visitors from next spring, when the city’s new visitor levy comes into effect. From 1st April 2027, eligible overnight stays in Cardiff will be subject to a charge set under the Welsh visitor levy system, although the amount depends on the type of accommodation.

The change is easy to misunderstand because Wales is not introducing one charge that applies everywhere. Welsh councils can choose whether to introduce a levy in their own area, after consulting local people and organisations representing tourism and local business. Cardiff is currently the council that has decided to do so.

What is the Wales visitor levy?

The visitor levy is an additional charge on overnight stays in visitor accommodation in Wales. The Welsh Government has given principal councils the power to introduce one in their area, following the required consultation and a formal decision.

The money is intended to be used locally for sustainable tourism development, including improving local tourism, protecting nature and landmarks, and promoting the Welsh language and culture. The important point for visitors is that the levy is not automatically charged across the whole of Wales. It only applies where the relevant local council has introduced a scheme.

When does Cardiff’s visitor levy start?

Cardiff Council has resolved to introduce its visitor levy from 1st April 2027. Cardiff is currently the only Welsh council listed by the Welsh Government as charging the levy.

There is also an earlier date worth knowing about if you are booking a future stay. For Cardiff, accommodation providers must start accounting for the levy from 28th September 2026. For stays from 1st April 2027, the levy applies to new bookings made from that date, as well as qualifying changes to existing bookings.

How much will the Cardiff visitor levy be?

There are two rates. The higher rate is £1.30 per person per night for most types of visitor accommodation. The lower rate is 75p per person per night for pitches or areas provided for camping and shared rooms or areas such as hostels, bunkhouses, bothies and dormitories.

The charge is calculated on a per-person, per-night basis. The rate depends on the type of accommodation, and some stays are outside the levy rules.

Will visitors actually have to pay it?

The visitor accommodation provider is responsible for paying the levy to the Welsh Revenue Authority. Providers can choose to absorb the cost themselves or pass it on to visitors, so you may see it added to your accommodation bill.

If the levy is passed on by a VAT-registered accommodation provider, VAT applies to the total amount you pay, including the levy.

Are there exemptions?

There are some exemptions from the levy. For example, under-18s are not charged the lower-rate levy when staying in a tent on a campsite pitch or in a shared room such as a hostel or dormitory. The levy also does not apply to bookings for 32 nights or more, or to temporary or emergency housing arranged by a local council in relation to homelessness.

There are also circumstances in which a visitor can apply to the Welsh Revenue Authority for a refund after their stay, including where they were staying as a carer for a disabled person, were temporarily homeless, or were fleeing harm or domestic violence. The Welsh Revenue Authority is due to publish further refund guidance before April 2027.

What about stays booked before the levy starts?

This is one of the less obvious parts of the new system. For Cardiff, a stay from 1st April 2027 onwards is generally outside the levy if the booking was made before 28th September 2026 and the contract is not subsequently varied in a way that brings additional nights or guests into scope. If a qualifying change is made from 28th September 2026 onwards, the levy can apply to the additional nights or guests covered by that change.

So, for someone who has already booked a Cardiff stay well in advance, the date of the booking can matter just as much as the date of the stay. Moving a booking to different dates can also bring the stay into scope under the transitional rules.

Does the visitor levy apply across Wales?

No. This is probably the most important point to take away from the change.

The Welsh Government has created the framework that allows principal councils to introduce a visitor levy, but councils make their own decisions about whether to use it. As things stand, Cardiff has decided to charge the levy from 1st April 2027. The Welsh Government’s current guidance lists no other councils as consulting on introducing one.

That could change in future. Another Welsh council could decide to introduce its own scheme, and its arrangements would not necessarily be identical to Cardiff’s in terms of timing or local administration. The useful rule for anyone booking accommodation is therefore to check the council area where the accommodation is located rather than assuming that all overnight stays in Wales are treated the same way.

What do visitors need to do?

For most visitors, there is no separate application or registration to complete. The accommodation provider deals with the levy and, where they pass the cost on, will normally make clear how much is being charged as part of the booking or stay.

If you have a Cardiff booking that was made before 28th September 2026, it is worth checking the booking date and any later changes to the reservation. Adding nights or guests can affect whether those additional parts of the stay are brought into the levy rules.

What do accommodation providers need to do?

Accommodation providers have more work to do than visitors. Providers in Wales must register their accommodation with the Welsh Revenue Authority, and those operating in Cardiff need to be ready to account for the levy on qualifying bookings.

Providers are responsible for calculating the correct amount, keeping records and filing and paying the levy to the Welsh Revenue Authority. They must register their accommodation before 31st March 2027, even where their own local council does not currently charge a visitor levy.

Why is Wales introducing a visitor levy?

The idea is to give local authorities an extra source of money from tourism, which can then be put back into tourism and local places. Welsh Government guidance says levy income can be used for things such as improving local tourism, protecting nature and landmarks, and promoting the Welsh language and culture.

Exactly how the money is used is a local matter. Each council that introduces a levy must also establish a Visitor Levy Partnership Forum involving local tourism organisations to advise on how the money should be used.

What happens next?

Cardiff’s scheme is now moving through its implementation phase ahead of the 1st April 2027 start date. Accommodation providers are already having to prepare for the new system, while the Welsh Revenue Authority is putting the registration and collection arrangements in place.

For visitors, the practical change is fairly simple: some Cardiff stays from April 2027 will carry an additional visitor levy, while stays elsewhere in Wales will only be affected if the local council introduces its own scheme.

Information checked

This article was checked against current information from Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government, including the official Visitor Levy guidance for Wales and guidance for accommodation providers.

• Cardiff Council: Visitor Levy
• Welsh Government: Visitor Levy in Wales
• Welsh Government: Step-by-step guide to Visitor Levy for accommodation providers

This article is intended as general information based on the official information available when it was checked on 3rd October 2026. Visitor levy rules and guidance can change. For advice about your own circumstances, check the latest information from the Welsh Government, Welsh Revenue Authority or relevant local authority.