Nicola Sturgeon's speech last Tuesday setting out the Scottish government's legislative programme for the year ahead confirmed what was already pretty clear.Scottish councils are set to be the first in the UK with the power to levy charges on visitors, with Edinburgh likely to lead the way.

Tourist taxes are not new.The Himayalan kingdom of Bhutan has a longstanding policy of charging visitors a daily fee.France's tax on overnight stays was introduced to assist thermal spatowns to develop, and around half of French local authorities use it today.

But such levies are on the rise.Moves by Barcelona and Venice to deal with the phenomenon of"over-tourism"through the use of charges have recently gained prominence.Japan and Greece are among the countries to have recently introduced tourist taxes.

That the UK lags behind is due to our weak,by international standards, local government, as well as the opposition to taxes and regulation of our aggressively pro-market ruling party.Some UK cities have lobbied without success for the power to levy a charge on visitors.Such levies are no universal remedy as the amounts raised would be tiny compared with what has been taken away by central government since2010.Still , it is to be hoped that the Scottish government's bold move will prompt others to act.There is no reason why visitors to the UK, or domestic tourists on holiday in hot spots such as Cornwall, should be exempt from taxation -particularly when vital local services including waste collection, park maintenance and arts and culture spending are under unprecedented strain.

On the contrary, compelling tourists to make a financial contribution to the places they visit beyond their personal consumption should be part of a wider cultural shift.Westerners with disposable incomes have often behaved as if they have a right to go wherever they choose with little regard for the consequences.Just as the environmental harm caused by aviation and other transport must come under far greater scrutiny, the social cost of tourism must also be confronted.This includes the impact of short-term lets on housing costs and quality of life for residents.Several European capitals, including Paris and Berlin, are leading a campaign for tougher regulation by the European Union.It also includes the impact of overcrowding, litter and the kinds of behaviour associated with noisy parties.

There is no"one size fits all"solution to this problem.The existence of new revenue streams for some but not all councils is complicated, and businesses are often opposed, fearing higher costs will make them uncompetitive.But those places that want them must be given the chance to make tourist taxes work.

Questions:
question_stem: What do we learn from Nicola Sturgeon's speech ?
choices: tag: A
text: The UK is set to adjust its policy on taxation.

tag: B
text: Tourists will have to pay a tax to visit Scotland.

tag: C
text: The UK will take new measures to boost tourism.

tag: D
text: Edinburgh contributes most to Scotland's tourism.
answer_key: B

question_stem: How come the UK has been slow in imposing the tourist tax ?
choices: tag: A
text: Its government wants to attract more tourists.

tag: B
text: The tax is unlikely to add much to its revenue.

tag: C
text: Its ruling party is opposed to taxes and regulation.

tag: D
text: It takes time for local governments to reach consensus.
answer_key: C

question_stem: Both international and domestic visitors in the UK should pay tourist tax so as to
choices: tag: A
text: elevate its tourism to international standards

tag: B
text: improve the welfare of its maintenance workers

tag: C
text: promote its cultural exchange with other nations

tag: D
text: ease its financial burden of providing local services
answer_key: D

question_stem: What does the author say about Western tourists ?
choices: tag: A
text: They don't seem to care about the social cost of tourism.

tag: B
text: They don't seem to mind paying for additional services.\

tag: C
text: They deem travel an important part of their life.

tag: D
text: They subject the effects of tourism to scrutiny.
answer_key: A

question_stem: What are UK people's opinions about the levy of tourist tax ?
choices: tag: A
text: Supportive.

tag: B
text: Skeptical.

tag: C
text: Divided.

tag: D
text: Unclear.
answer_key: C