Businesses Seek Cruise Tax Fund Details for Mahahual

CHETUMAL, MX. — After confirming that they were denied inclusion in the Council of the Tourism Investment Fund generated from the cruise passenger tax, the president of Coparmex for the southern zone, Osmany Hoil Palomo, insisted on the need to know how the resources obtained through this fund are being applied, “since at this moment Mahahual requires urgent intervention in public works and infrastructure.”

He recalled that since September 10, they sent an official request to the Secretary of Finance and Planning (Sefiplan), Martha Parroquin Pérez, but through the fiscal prosecutor, they were notified that if Coparmex is interested in participating, it can make its proposals and comments through the Secretariat of Tourism, headed by Bernardo Cueto.

“They told us that Coparmex could not be formally included but that we could submit our proposals through the working tables of Sedetur,” he explained.

However, he said that despite requesting dates for the installation of these working tables, they have not yet received a response from the authorities of the state Secretariat of Tourism.

Hoil Palomo stated that they requested information on the installation and integration procedure of the working table for the fund from the cruise passenger tax collection, “but they explained that they could not provide it to us since there is information classified as reserved, so we asked for data on what would be public information.”

He stated that, so far, the business sector does not know how much has been collected from the cruise passenger tax and where it has been invested.

The president of Coparmex insisted that Mahahual currently requires investment in infrastructure to repair streets in poor condition, lighting, security, health, and education.

He noted that Mahahual is experiencing accelerated growth due to the arrival of cruise tourism and national and foreign visitors, as “while it has everything to become a national reference for tourism, identity, and development,” it urgently requires the application of resources from the Trust for the Strengthening of Tourism Activity (FOATQROO).

He recalled that this fund, created in 2024, “administers resources derived from tourism activity, including those from the new cruise passenger tax, already in collection since 2025, and can be applied directly in Mahahual, as it is precisely intended for tourism infrastructure works, sanitation, public services, and urban maintenance in strategic destinations like Costa Maya.

Mahahual “is living an unrepeatable stage,” as private investment is flowing on a large scale: Royal Caribbean is advancing with a tourism investment that will transform the economic dynamics of Costa Maya and increase the flow of cruise passengers, jobs, and demand for services, and the Lahun Tiku project strengthens the cultural and social identity of the destination, integrating artisans, local trades, and community coexistence spaces.

He insisted that Mahahual needs to improve roadways, public lighting, drainage, sanitation, waste management, signage, and security. It is a priority to earmark resources for 2026 for strategic works in the destination, in line with the state and municipal development plans.