The Mexican state of Quintana Roo, home to Cancun, the Maya Riviera and important ancient sites, will start collecting a $10 per person tourism tax in April to make up for pandemic revenue losses, but hotels and airlines are not happy about it.
The airlines and hotels are complaining that the tax, whose collection mechanism has not yet been determined, will cause problems at airports or will lead to tourists choosing other areas without such taxes. The tax is actually defined as a fee for visitors using the state’s public facilities.
State Tourism Secretary Marisol Vanegas disagrees, pointing out that many other destinations have similar taxes, and that the tax is needed to make up state budget deficits caused by the near-disappearance this year of its usual tourism income. She says that “a payment of $10, to the international profile we have, will not make a dent” in tourist arrivals.
