Charlie Sawyer
Published December 11, 2025 5:58pm
Updated December 11, 2025 5:58pm
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Would you happily pay a tourism levy to visit this village? (Picture: Getty Images)
Tourist taxes have become commonplace across Europe, especially in popular cities like Venice, Paris, and Amsterdam.
But it’s not just these bustling hubs implementing similar charges to mitigate the effects of overtourism.
Bourton-on-the-Water, a small village in Gloucestershire known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, gets around 300,000 visitors a year — nearly 100 times its population.
And now, local authorities have decided to introduce new parking fees aimed at redressing the balance for residents.
Bourton-on-the-Water attract hundreds of people every day (Picture: Getty Images)
Under the new schedule, parking will be free before 10am at Rissington Road car park, with charges then applying until 8pm, replacing the previous 8am-6pm schedule.
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The intention is to give locals and residents free access to services in the morning, shifting the charges for visitors who then arrive later in the day.
A levy on parking was first introduced in the town back in 2021, with a portion of the fees going towards local projects.
@willsadam1Lovely quiet day in Bourton on the water 😳😳 #cotswolds #busy
♬ Wishin On A Star – Lil Gangster
Thanks to the additional 50p added to every stay in Rissington car park, £60,000 has been raised by December 2022 — an amount that was then put to local residents to decide what it’d be used for.
Ultimately, villagers decided to spend the money on parking restrictions and traffic enforcement measures, but siphoned off some of the money for improvements to the village green and river bank and employing a village warden.
A ‘beautiful town’ plagued by overtourism
With its hanging willow trees and stunning stone bridges, Bourton-on-the-Water is easily one of the most charming corners of England.
Dating back to 4,000 BC, visitors flock to the village to cross the iconic Windrush bridge and visit its local artisan bakeries and shops.
Bourton-on-the-Water is also known for its unique scale model village, built in the 1930s.
Probably one of the most beautiful towns I have ever been to, Bourton on the Water. Loved it, had traditional ice cream, ate chips and enjoyed the sun and sights with Ryan😊❤️ who enjoyed the town very much.The car museum is very much so worth the price as well 😁 pic.twitter.com/R8gXvraeUC
— Tristan Morrow 🇬🇧☘️ (@TrisBurnedLands) April 28, 2025
While it’s busy all-year-round, the summer is especially popular for tourism.
A number of people who’ve visited have warned others online to avoid the area on weekends and bank holidays, with crowds swarming the bridges and waterways.
In an effort to deal with the increased traffic, the council announced earlier in 2025 that it planned to ban coaches from using main roads in the village.
However, after businesses argued against the move, designated drop-off plans are now being trialled instead.
Will other Cotswolds villages follow suit with parking levies aimed at tourists?
Speaking on the changes, Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for health, culture and visitor experience, said: ‘I know first-hand the challenges the village faces during the tourist season.
‘This new approach is designed to give something back to residents and boost the money going back into the village.’
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Officials are also considering whether other villages in the Cotswolds might also follow Bourton-on-the-Water’s lead.
It was recently claimed that Stow-on-the-Wold, a hilltop picturesque village that’s also incredibly popular with tourists for its historic buildings and impressive market square, has also been considered for similar changes.
Metro approached Stow-on-the-Wold Town Council for comment, but it stated it was unable to comment at this time as the process is still in the early stages.
However, given Hodgkinson’s comments that schemes like these would provide ‘similar benefits’ to other neighbourhoods in the area, changes could certainly be on the cards for this UK holiday hotspot over the coming years.
Could London ever implement a tourist tax?
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has suggested that he would be open to introducing a tourist tax to the capital.
Estimates have indicated that a tourist tax on accommodation could bring in up to £240 million a year.
And with other corners of the UK steaming ahead with their own tourist levy’s, it wouldn’t be totally shocking for England to pursue its own scheme.
For example, as of July 2026, visitors to Edinburgh will have a 5% charge applied to paid overnight accommodation. Similarly, from April 2027, travelers staying in Wales will be subject to a similar additional cost.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which would give the mayor powers to push this tax through, is currently making its way through Parliamentary stages.
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