Caroline Pidgeon plans a radical upgrade to childcare services in London. She will pay for it by introducing a 'tourist tax' on luxury hotel stays typical of major cities. Caroline, Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate and mother of a young child said:

“As any parent in London will know, the cost and availability of childcare in London puts a real strain on families. Compared with the rest of the UK, 10% fewer women return to work after having children.

“Many cities around the world including New York, Paris and Berlin  have a Tourist Tax. My plan for a £2 a night levy on hotels of 3* or above would raise £50m a year by 2018 and mean we could fund more wrap around child care including breakfast clubs and the after school, activities,  s well as more training places to boost the number of childminders working in London.”

Caroline's proposals are for a £2 a night Tourist Tax will be applied on all stays in 3* or above hotels.  

In 2015 there were 68,100 rooms of 3* and above in London, and £41.2million would have been raised by imposing a £2 levy.  By 2018 there will be 88,800 rooms of 3* and above and the total raised would be £53,803,920. This would provide an unprecedented level of investment to support the provision of childcare outside of normal school hours, such as breakfast clubs or after school care.​

Several major cities have adopted similar tourist tax schemes, including New York, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Venice and Florence. 

You can read about other tourist tax examples: