YESTERDAY marked the end of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a day people who live in Edinburgh note in their diaries as the day they can finally catch their bus on time, find a seat in their local pub, or make it across Princes Street. Of course we love the Fringe and other festivals which make our city ever exciting and stimulating. And, at the same time, it comes at a cost.

Simply put, the unchecked growth of tourism over the past decades has exacerbated the housing crisis in Edinburgh. Developers and landlords have taken full advantage of overtourism to hollow out our homes and communities in the name of soaring profits and this needs to be reined in. 

Last week, Edinburgh City Council voted a motion to introduce a visitor levy, or tourist tax, with some of the money raised going towards council housing in the capital.