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  3. Nicola Sturgeon’s speech last Tuesday setting out the Scottish government’s

Nicola Sturgeon’s speech last Tuesday setting out the Scottish government’s

游客2023-08-07  25
问题     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 spa (温泉) towns 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 since 2010. 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 hotspots 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. [br] How come the UK has been slow in imposing the tourist tax?
选项 A、Its government wants to attract more tourists.
B、The tax is unlikely to add much to its revenue.
C、Its ruling party is opposed to taxes and regulation.
D、It takes time for local governments to reach consensus.
答案 C
解析 由题干中的the UK has been slow in imposing the tourist tax定位至第四段第一句。事实细节题。第四段第一句指出，英国在旅游税征收方面落后于其他国家的原因是地方政府软弱无能，同时执政党积极支持自由市场，反对税收和监管，故答案为C)。文章中提到，英国在旅游税征收方面落后于其他国家的原因之一是地方政府软弱无能，并未提到政府想要吸引更多游客，故排除A)；第四段第三句指出，这样的征税并不是万能的补救措施，因为与中央政府自2010年以来收回的资金相比，这样征收到的资金微不足道，但这是在评价征税措施，并不是英国旅游税征收进程缓慢的原因，故排除B)；第四段第二句提到，一些英国城市为取得向游客收费的权力进行了游说，但并未成功，这只是对现状的陈述，不能说明地方政府达成共识需要时间是英国旅游税征收方面落后于其他国家的原因，故排除D)。
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