Nothing is Free

I run photography workshops in Edinburgh and in some ways the tourist boom, particularly in the last 12/18 months fuelled by cheap flights and a good currency exchange rate from abroad, has helped my bookings. However, this has also brought in numerous large tour companies offering 'free' tours.

The sales people line the Royal Mile and make it impossible to walk down with my small groups (never bigger than 4 people) and the tour guides will totally ignore my group taking photographs and push their way in front.

Some people have been campaigning for a tourist tax. I'd go one stage further and ply a tour guide tax on companies operating in Edinburgh. As a resident, I'm quite happy to add a small premium if it is invested in the city whereas these companies bleed the city dry then move on. That's the cost of a free tour - is it worth it?