Edinburgh becomes first ‘tourist tax’ city in Scotland

Council leader Jane Meagher said it was one of the most important injections of funding in the city for decades, and visitors and residents would quickly see the benefits.

“They will see cleaner streets, they will see quicker removal of graffiti, better environmental improvements, more attractive spaces and better transport connections,” she said.

“They will see lots of improvements across the city, not just in the city centre.”

She added some of the money would go towards affordable housing, to enable people working in the city to find somewhere to live.

“We’re getting strong messages from employers in the hospitality sector that they’re struggling to recruit people to jobs because rents and mortgages are so high and they can’t afford to live near where they work,” she said.