Responsible Travel asked 670 domestic travellers if they would be willing to contribute a small fee to stay overnight in UK national parks or areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). 

The majority (90%) of respondents said they would be willing to pay a tax of between £2 and £10 per night, with proceeds ring-fenced for reinvestment into local nature conservation.

Just under half (43%) of those polled were willing to pay a levy of £5 per night – and with an estimated 30.5 million overnight visitors to the areas each year, that could raise an extra £152.5 million for UK national parks and AONBs.

England’s national parks have seen an estimated 40% real-terms funding cuts in the last decade, while for AONBs the figure is as high as 60%.

Justin Francis, co-founder and chief executive of Responsible Travel, said: "Tourism relies on nature, profits from it, and greatly impacts it. But it can also help protect it.

"It’s crucial that we invest now in nature on our doorstep. At a time when UK biodiversity is depleting, so is real-terms funding for it."

Many destinations worldwide already employ mandatory tourism levies, while some UK national parks – including Dartmoor, the Lake District and the Peak District – have introduced voluntary donation initiatives.