Business Leaders Urge Quintana Roo to Halt Non-Resident Fee Increase

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Business groups in the Riviera Maya and Tulum are pressing Quintana Roo officials to reconsider the state’s non-resident visitor fee, warning that higher entry costs for foreign travelers could erode the region’s tourism competitiveness, cost jobs and slow economic activity.

Participants at the meeting said the fee has risen 55 percent over the past two years and argued that the added charge has contributed to a decline in international visitors. They said the cost of a trip should be weighed against the fallout from lower arrivals for hotels, shops, transport operators and other service providers.

Valeria Rindertsma and Offner Israel Arjona, of the group Mujeres Empresarias Riviera Maya, called for the fee to be cut. They argued that foreign tourists already generate revenue through spending on lodging, food, transport and other services — activity that also produces tax income.

Francelia Mota Blancas, of the Mexican Association of Women Business Owners of Tulum (AMEXME Tulum), proposed a region-by-region analysis of the charge and harmonized customs criteria. She said that beyond costlier international travel and business levies, uncertainty over entry procedures is also hurting the sector.

Salvador García Santos Rivero, of the Tulum Business Coordinating Council, urged officials to reject the increase outlined in the 2027 Economic Package and to keep the current rate in place. The proposals aim to spare travelers additional costs in what business leaders describe as an unfavorable climate for foreign tourism arrivals.