The Mexican government has announced that starting July 1, all cruise ship passengers arriving at any Mexican port will be required to pay a $5 visitor fee.
This decision comes after months of negotiations between the Mexican government and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), which represents 95% of the cruise ships that make ports of call in Mexico.
Initially, the Mexican government had proposed a $42 tariff on each passenger but following complaints from cruise ship operators and the FCCA, the fee was negotiated down to its current rate.
Over the next three years, the fee is expected to increase to $21 per passenger. However, visitors will not pay this fee directly to the Mexican government; instead, it will be added to the cost of their cruise.
The FCCA has expressed gratitude for the collaboration with the Mexican federal government in reaching this agreement. “We are grateful to Mexico’s federal government for collaborating with us to reach an agreement on the transit fee that protects cruise ship tourism and increases benefits to local communities whose livelihood depends on it,” a statement from the FCCA reads.
The introduction of this visitor fee is expected to generate significant revenue, with around 3,300 cruise ships estimated to stop in Mexican ports this year, bringing approximately 10 million passengers with them.
Source: Border Report
