The Mexican Senate approved a reform on Tuesday that will force cruise passengers to pay a fee of $42 upon arrival at the country’s ports. The decision sparked concern from the business sector, which argues that the measure will turn Mexico into one of the most expensive destinations in the Caribbean and directly affect tourism, one of the country’s most important industries.
Despite the call of different representatives of business chambers to stop the reform, the ruling Morena party and its allied forces endorsed the elimination of the exemption from payment for immigration services for foreign cruise passengers as part of the reform of the federal immigration law. Rights.
The reform, which was endorsed last week by the Chamber of Deputies, also establishes an increase from 7.5% to 8.5% in the special right rate on mining, as well as increases in fees to visit protected natural areas, and immigration services at airports for passengers on international flights who leave Mexican territory and foreign visitors without a work permit.
Prior to the approval of the ruling, Octavio de la Torre, president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism, warned that charging cruise tourists $42 will result in a “significant decrease in visitors.” which will end up “severely affecting small and medium-sized businesses who depend on tourism activity to survive” in the states of Quintana Roo, Baja California, Guerrero, Jalisco and Chiapas.
According to estimates by state Cruise Associations and Tourism Secretariats, Mexican ports will be 213% more expensive compared to other port terminals in the Caribbean.
The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents also joined the claims, which assured that the reform – which establishes that two thirds of the income from the migrant tax be allocated to the Secretariat of National Defense – will “severely affect competitiveness.” of the country compared to the destinations of the Caribbean.”
In the past, cruise passengers were exempt from paying the fee, called the “non-migrant fee,” as they sleep on board ships and some do not even disembark during port calls.
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