Visitors to Edinburgh will be charged a tourist tax designed to raise £50m annually, after city councillors voted in favour of the move. The charge, which mimics those already used in Germany, Spain and Italy,

Local politicians in Edinburgh have approved a tourist tax for visitors staying overnight the Scottish capital, introducing the first charge of its kind in the United Kingdom.

The City of Edinburgh Council has voted to enforce a 5% charge on overnight stays in a bid to use the area's booming tourist trade to the local authority's advantage. Those visiting Scotland's capital will have to pay a 5%-per-night fee for up to seven nights when staying at hotels,

Councillors agreed to delay the introduction of the new charge until October to give the industry time to prepare