If you raised your eyebrows at Venice’s new tourist tax of 10 euros for foreign visitors, Mexico’s most recent decision will be jaw-dropping. Last week, the Associated Press reported that Mexico’s Congress voted to tax cruise passengers a steep $42 as soon as the cruise ship docks anywhere in the country.
According to groups that oppose the new law and are urging the Senate not to approve it, including the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents, the new immigration charge would put Mexico in a less competitive position against other Caribbean destinations where ports of calls are technically cheaper. This could potentially put some states at a disadvantage, including Quintana Roo, in which cruise tourism makes up for 40% of its GDP, per the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.
Ultimately, the cruise company would collect the fee. For passengers, that means an inflated bill to pay upfront.
I know what you’re thinking. You can evade the fee if you don’t get off the ship. So far, that has partially been the case, as cruise ship passengers were exempt from immigration taxes because they slept aboard the ship instead of getting off it. Sadly, per the new law, passengers will be taxed whether or not they disembark.
While this could be seen as a move to combat overtourism and help alleviate its effects through the money collected, it seems like Mexico has different plans. Reportedly, the new tourist tax money would not be used to improve and reinvest in port facilities. Instead, it would fund the Mexican army, which is involved in several building projects, including railways and oil refineries.
According to a press release by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, the new immigration fee is expected to go into effect in January.