If you’re planning to stay in a hotel in New Brunswick, you might be in for a bit of a surprise when you check out. An added charge to hotel guests’ bills — a “tourism tax”— could be on your bill, depending on where in New Brunswick you are staying.
However, you don’t have to pay it. That’s something that many people — including provincial politicians — weren’t aware of.
READ MORE: New Brunswick tourism industry frustrated by decision on levy
“I was surprised, I knew there was a levy but I had presumed the levy wasn’t voluntary,” said Ross Wetmore MLA for Gagetown-Petitcodiac. “You got your bill you paid your bill but apparently if you don’t want to pay the levy you don’t have to.”
The Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick says the levy has been in place for six years. The association’s president, Kathy Weir, says the optional charge is a strategic way to increase funds in lieu of a legislated tax.
Hotels in several parts of the province, including Saint John, Miramichi, and Edmundston have opted to charge the levy under names like “accomodation tax” or “marketing fund” while cities like Moncton and Fredericton aren’t charging anything.
Weir says the association wants to see consistency across the province. She says the best way to do that is through a tax.
The TIANB stance is that adding anywhere from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent to guests’ bills would result in millions of dollars in added revenue for the province, which could be used to better market New Brunswick to travellers.
The government has not said whether it would consider legislating a tourism tax in the future, which Wetmore says he supports.
“Our party campaigned on implementing the tourism marketing fund. It’s a good way to get money for advertising for tourism operators that they don’t have right now,” he said. “I’m really urging the government to move forward with it.”
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