YHA is urging the Government to ensure children and young people are exempt from any overnight visitor levy, warning that the proposals risk increasing the cost of school residentials at a time when many families and schools are already struggling to afford them.
Following today’s announcement that English mayors will be given powers to introduce an overnight visitor levy and determine the rate locally, YHA has raised concerns about the impact of the policy on educational trips for children.
James Blake, CEO of YHA (England & Wales), said: “This government decision will ultimately lead to residential school trips in the UK being more expensive. This is at a time when there’s a cost-of-living crisis and increasing numbers of children are already having to miss out.
“It cannot be left to individual mayors to decide whether a child on a school trip pays the levy in one part of England but not another. There needs to be a clear and consistent national approach.
“At a time when Government is talking about widening opportunity and investing in young people’s futures, policy should be removing barriers to these experiences, not adding new ones. Without proper exemptions, this levy risks being socially regressive.
“A school trip is not a holiday. It is a core part of young people’s educational experience and, for many children, their first night away from home, their first visit to the countryside and an opportunity to develop confidence, independence and new skills.
“Schools and families are already having to make difficult decisions about what they can afford. Adding another cost to an overnight school trip will inevitably make it harder for some children to take part.”
“The children most likely to miss out are those who already have the fewest opportunities. That is why we believe any visitor levy must include a national exemption for children and young people taking part in school residentials and educational trips.
“Before introducing a new charge on overnight stays, Government needs to consider exactly who will end up paying it. When that person could be a child going on a school residential, there is a very strong case for drawing a clear line and saying they should be exempt.”
YHA operates a network of youth hostels in England and Wales which provides accommodation for school residential trips. Since 2024 the charity has seen a declining number of school bookings due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Research by educational charity the Sutton Trust found that half of school leaders reported cutting back on trips and outings in 2025 because of funding pressures. This rose to 68% among schools in the most disadvantaged areas, compared with 44% in the least disadvantaged areas.
YHA supports the Tourism Alliance’s call for a properly considered national framework for any visitor levy, developed in consultation with the organisations and businesses that will have to operate it.
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