SNP councillors would push for a £2 a night “tourist tax” if they form the next administration in Edinburgh.
The charge would apply per room every night and be capped at £14.
Edinburgh City Council backed a so-called “Transient Visitor Levy” in 2019 as a way of generating much-needed revenue.
But the pandemic put the plan on the backburner and councillors remain divided.
Although the SNP and Labour run Edinburgh together, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s scepticism of future deals with any party means another coalition looks highly unlikely.
Speaking ahead of the local authority election, SNP council leader Adam McVey insisted his party would look to introduce a TVL after May.
He said: “Edinburgh is a world-class destination for tourists. The festivals are the largest of their kind anywhere in the world and, in most years, Edinburgh Castle is the most visited attraction in the UK outside London. The sector employs tens of thousands of people.
“But we all know that this footfall also strains the city’s capacity. The capital has to work hard to maintain the infrastructure that supports being a tourism hotspot – from keeping the streets clean to providing the transport links essential to getting around.
"And we also have to find ways to keep investing in our cities’ parks, museums, facilities like public toilets, and culture if we’re going to stay in the premier league of holiday destinations.
“While the Conservatives would just see city residents keep footing the bill, SNP councillors will introduce a fairer alternative.
“Anyone who has been on a city break in Europe knows that per-night charges to tourists are normal. Cities around the continent have realised that this is a simple, fair and accepted way of raising money to help deal with the pressure that comes with being a popular destination.”
He added: “The number one concern right now for business is staff availability, so some of this revenue could also be used to support people into these jobs, not only helping businesses but helping people across the City into fair work.”
The SNP plan would include holiday lets through companies such as AirBnB.
In 2019, Edinburgh welcomed 4.9m visitors the city.
A council source said enabling legislation from Holyrood would be required before the £2 a night plan could be implemented.
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