On the suggestion of DUP Councillor Brian Kingston, the Belfast City Council is going to look into the possibility of introducing a tourist levy to generate funds for city DMO Visit Belfast, which is scheduled to receive nearly 2M GBP from the city next year.

Mr. Kingston point out that other UK cities - including Bath, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham and London - all have introduced a tax of this kind, and that tourists now accept it as to be expected.

However, Hospitality Ulster CEO Colin Neill objects that introducing a bed tax in Belfast would be "just madness" because as it is now, NI has some of the world's highest tax rates on businesses, and that only 50% of the city's capacity for tourism is currently being used.

Hotels and pubs pay tax rates that are based on sales, so their taxes increase as tourism increases. And 50% of funds collected from businesses already go to the City Council - moneys which Mr. Neill argues should be using to promote tourism, instead of introducing yet another tax.

How will this play out? Stay tuned.