Mexican authorities may be trying to please tourists by introducing a new tourist tax.
An entry tax of $42 per passenger on cruise ships docking in Mexico was passed by the country’s Congress last week, the Associated Press reported.
“The cruise industry and Mexico have enjoyed a very strong and beneficial relationship,” Stewart Chiron, a Miami-based cruise industry expert known as “The Cruise Guy,” told Fox News Digital.
Air passengers visiting this vacation spot must pay a fee just to leave the island.
Shillong said cruises contribute to the country’s economy through jobs, spending, taxes and port fees.
Michelle Page, CEO of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, wrote a letter to Mexico’s president opposing the tax. (St. Petersburg)
“Unlike hotels, cruise lines can move ships. Cruise industry executives should be working to set up a meeting to reach an amicable solution,” Chiron added.
“I think cruise ship passengers will voice their opinion that they would skip Mexico in exchange for a $42 increase in fares,” he said.
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According to the Cruise Lines International Association, approximately 16.9 million passengers took cruises from the United States in 2023.
Mexican authorities plan to impose a $42 entry tax on all passengers on cruise ships docking in Mexico. (St. Petersburg)
Michelle Page, CEO of the Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), sent a letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo expressing her disappointment and concern.
“The government’s plan to eliminate the ‘in transit’ exemption status that has applied to cruise passengers for more than a decade will affect tens of thousands of Mexican citizens, countless small businesses, and Mexican coastal communities that rely on cruises. “tourism,” Page wrote in a letter sent to Fox News Digital by the FCCA.
“Given the potential for consumer demand for Mexican cruises to disappear due to the unprecedented tax increases on cruise travel, cruise lines will inevitably re-evaluate the feasibility of these investments,” Page said. ” he added.
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According to a press release, the FCAA estimates that the tax will make cruise travel in Mexico 213% more expensive than the average Caribbean port.
In 2023, approximately 16.9 million passengers took cruises from the United States. (Michael Jung via Getty Images)
“The proposed additional per-person tax, when combined with existing taxes and fees, represents a cost that most cruise passengers cannot easily absorb,” the release said.
According to the Associated Press, about two-thirds of the money raised through taxes will go to Mexico’s military.
Other holiday destinations have also introduced taxes or increased tourist taxes in recent months.
Greek authorities plan to impose a $22 tax on cruise travelers to Santorini or Mykonos, Fox News Digital reported in September.
And the South Asian Maldives, known for its crystal-clear waters and luxury resorts, has increased air taxes on tourists departing the island.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
