'We live in a popular UK tourist city and there are areas that visitors have taken over'

One of the UK cities that experiences the highest volume of tourists sees numbers swell in certain months of the year and this can often be a difficulty for residents. Edinburgh sits behind London as the most-visited city in the UK thanks to its unique historic charm, beautiful architecture and annual events, such as the . Many a tourist has an exciting experience in , enjoying the city's top-rated attractions and restaurants.

But for residents, the high levels of tourism can prove challenging. In fact, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act became law in September of last year and allows Scottish councils to charge a nightly tax on overnight stays in accommodations such as hotels, self-catering apartments, , guest houses and bed & breakfasts, and this revenue must be "used to develop, support or sustain local facilities and services substantially used by business and leisure visitors".

While certain measures have been introduced to deal with the issue of in Edinburgh, residents still have frustrations about the high levels of visitors to the city, particularly in the summertime. One resident, Aisling Seabrook, told The Express that there are certain areas of the city where only tourists go with those living in the city avoiding them.

One of those areas, she says, is the famous Royal Mile. She revealed: "There are obviously busier times like in August when the Fringe is on. Just moving around the city is a nightmare. But there are also certain areas in Edinburgh that are almost reserved for tourists, but big areas.

"The Royal Mile is the biggest example. Nobody who lives here goes to the Royal Mile unless it's for something very specific. That is purely for tourists. It's a big chunk of the city that is kind of out of commission. would kind of be the equivalent in London. You don't really go there unless you absolutely have to because you know you're not going to be able to move through people."

Aisling also commented on the number of Airbnbs in the city, something that has been brought up often as an issue in Edinburgh. There has been a significant growth in the amount of properties becoming Airbnbs in the city, The City of Edinburgh Council has stated.

The council argued in a report in 2021 that "there is concern that increased numbers of short-term lets reduces the supply of available homes for longer term lets, which would tend to increase the cost of renting.

The report added: "Research also indicates a displacement of demand, with rents rising significantly above average (between 20-27% over the period 2014-17) in areas bordering a high concentration of short term lets."

The city has since introduced restrictions on short-term lets. As a result, short temr lets such as Airbnbs must get a license to operate and host guests. Aisling said that it feels like "everything is an Airbnb". She explained: "If you walk down any street you see a million of those little key lock boxes."

Crowds and too many short term lets for tourists seem to be the main issues for residents of Edinburgh when it comes to the high volume of visitors in the city. However, they also see the positives.

Another resident, Leena, told The Express: "I work in the centre which you can imagine is completely overrun by tourists. It is hard, as in walking around. There are a lot of people in the way and you're always maneuvering through.

"It's not a negative thing. You can tell people love the city and they love to visit. Sometimes you're trying to rush. I don't personally mind it because people are coming to enjoy it. It's a beautiful city with a lot of history. It's definitely an experience."

Similarly, Aisling said that she enjoys the number of events that are on throughout the city. She revealed: "There's always something to do. All the things that the tourists come here for are good things."

From a business perspective, tourism in Edinburgh is highly important. According to Convention Edinburgh, the Scottish capital welcomes over 4 million visitors annually, injecting £1.2 billion in to the local economy.

Sales Executive at Roseate Hotel Edinburgh told The Express: "It's really nice to welcome people to tell them more about the culture and recommend places to eat and places to go to. It's really great when they come back to the hotel at the end of the day and say they really enjoyed the experiences we recommended. They want to come back to Scotland, to the city and the country and recommend it to friends and family."

It's clear that the jury is still out on whether or not Edinburgh's current tourism levels are a good or a bad thing for the city. Residents can see both sides of the argument while businesses welcome the revenue.

Edinburgh hasn't experienced any like we have witnessed in certain areas of countries like Spain. However, some people, such as Terry Levinthal of the Cockburn Associaiton, have warned that similar portests could take place if certain measures aren't put in place.

In an interview with last year, he said: "I don't think we're that far behind something happening in Edinburgh to really bring this to the fore. Whether that's a mass protest, I don't know. Nobody is saying we need to stop tourism, but by God, we need to start managing it."