United Kingdom
24 September 2019 | While best efforts have been made to verify the accuracy of the information, it should be used as guidance only. If you have updated information please contact policy@etoa.org.
Tax
There are no tourist taxes applicable, although tourist taxes are being discussed in some destinations in England and Scotland. Please click on the right hand banner for further information.
VAT: 20% (no reduction for hotels and restaurants)
UK Government
Access and Mobility
Real time road traffic information can be found via the below links:
There are toll charges on the M6 toll road near Birmingham and to cross bridges and tunnels on some sections of the motorway and A road network. Details here provided by UK Government.
N.B.
- Dartford crossing on M25 – pay online here as toll booths have been removed
- Severn Bridge crossing on M4 between England and Wales is now free.
Information on low emissions zones in some cities can be found here.
National rail services are provided by multiple private train companies. Tickets can be bought from either the train companies directly or at national rail enquiries.
International rail services are provided by either Eurostar (foot passengers) or Eurotunnel (road passengers).
Ferry companies include Brittany Ferries, DFDS, Irish Ferries, P&O, Stena Line
National and international scheduled coach services are provided by multiple private companies. Some companies are Eurolines, Megabus and National Express.
Guiding regulation
Guiding in the United Kingdom is not a regulated profession, so no prior declaration of certificate is needed when providing services here.
You can read more about EU guiding regulations here.
Please click on the right hand banner to read more about guiding regulations in Europe and the ETOA tour guide ID card.
Public holidays and opening hours
There are eight public holidays (bank holidays) in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. An up to date list can be found here and below.
If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday.
Public offices are closed weekends and bank holidays. Shops in larger cities are often open from 10:00 until 20:00/21:00, with limited opening hours on Sundays. Some grocery shops are open 07:00-23:00.
| DATE | HOLIDAY |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| Variable | Good Friday |
| Variable | Easter Monday |
| Monday after first weekend in May | Early May bank holiday |
| Last Monday in May | Spring bank holiday |
| Last Monday in August | Summer bank holiday |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Boxing Day |
| DATE | HOLIDAY |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 2 January | 2nd January |
| Variable | Good Friday |
| Monday after first weekend in May | Early May bank holiday |
| Last Monday in May | Spring bank holiday |
| Monday after first weekend in August | Summer bank holiday |
| 30 November | St Andrew’s day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Boxing Day |
| DATE | HOLIDAY |
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 17 March | St Patrick’s Day |
| Variable | Good Friday |
| Variable | Easter Monday |
| Monday after first weekend in May | Early May bank holiday |
| Last Monday in May | Spring bank holiday |
| 12 July | Battle of the Boyne |
| Last Monday in August | Summer bank holiday |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Boxing Day |
Events and seasonality
Information about major events in the United Kingdom in 2019 can be found here.
Specific events in each country below:
ETOA activity
ETOA’s Senior Manager Róisín Donnelly is focusing on developing the local membership base in the United Kingdom.
If you are experiencing operational issues in the United Kingdom or have any comments regarding the content of this page, please contact policy@etoa.org.
Several of ETOA’s B2B networking events are held in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, ETOA has a stand at WTM London every year, members can co-exhibit with us for a fee. Please click on the below links to read more.
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Resources
ETOA is an active member of the Tourism Alliance in the UK, a sectoral group including a wide range of domestic stakeholders from the hospitality industry to DMOs, and has ready access to Government. Its current Manifesto for the UK tourism industry is available here.
United Kingdom’s Tourism Sector Deal launched 2019 and Tourism Action Plan 2016 outlines how the government will be supporting the tourism industry and ensuring the benefits of tourism will be felt across the United Kingdom.
In addition, the national tourism boards and local governments have also launched tourism strategies.
Visit Britain’s Britain Tourism Strategy
Visit England’s England, a strategic Framework for Tourism 2010-2020
The Welsh Government Strategy for Tourism 2013 – 2020 Partnership for Growth
City tourism: Operators update
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