Manchester introduces tourist tax - everything you need to know

The recently announced 'tourist tax' - where an extra £1 is added onto the fee on a stay per night at a hotel room or other accommodation - could raise councils hundreds of millions of pounds, new research reveals. The City Visitor Charge was introduced on Saturday (April 1), with the money being used to help boost the tourist economy through the running of large events, conferences, festivals, marketing campaigns and also towards street cleanliness in the city.

A study by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership shows how the tax could help generate vital funds for town hall coffers. The research, seen by The Mirror, shows how each region of the UK could fare by adding the extra pound on with the north west potentially gaining £59.8m.

Such revenue could ease pressure on stretched council budgets - boosting local services and even allowing for council tax cuts, according to the analysis from the the Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank and Open Innovations. "Introducing a tourism levy is common sense if we want to be able to invest in our offer to international visitors by protecting and enhancing our natural and cultural assets," said Henri Murison, Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive.

READ MORE: People divided as Manchester's new tourist tax is introduced

"It’s not fair that the burden of this upkeep or the cost of increased traffic should fall entirely on local residents, nor does it make sense economically. You wouldn’t think twice about paying a couple of euros in France or Italy, so why should it be any different here?"

Manchester became the first UK city to impose a tourist tax on visitors on Saturday. Overnight guests in city centre hotels or holiday apartments will be charged an extra £1 a night,