Cruise Fees to Bring 500M Pesos to Quintana Roo Tourism

Quintana Roo, Mexico — Given the strong year for cruise arrivals in Quintana Roo, the state government anticipates collecting 500 million pesos from the $5 fee imposed on maritime visitors disembarking in Mahahual or Cozumel. The fee, agreed upon by cruise lines and state authorities, was implemented in January of this year.

Funds to Boost Infrastructure and Disaster Preparedness

Bernardo Cueto Riestra, Quintana Roo’s Secretary of Tourism, stated that the revenue will be allocated toward improving tourism infrastructure in Mahahual and Cozumel—two of Mexico’s busiest cruise ports—as well as establishing a state fund for natural disaster response.

For every dollar collected from the cruise passenger tax, the state government will contribute an additional dollar, potentially doubling the total funds to one billion pesos by year’s end.

“This is an unprecedented initiative, not just in Mexico but globally, where a subnational government charges a fee to cruise passengers and allocates it to a trust fund for infrastructure improvements in the very destinations they visit,” Cueto Riestra explained. “This addresses a long-standing issue for Mahahual and Cozumel, which have hosted millions of tourists without seeing tangible benefits.”

Cruise Passenger Welfare Trust to Manage Resources

The funds will be administered by the newly established Cruise Passenger Welfare Trust. A governing body, comprising representatives from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and Quintana Roo’s government, will oversee the allocation of resources to ensure transparency.

“Some projects will focus on enhancing the visitor experience, while others aim to improve quality of life in these destinations, including safety initiatives and the creation of the first natural disaster relief fund,” Cueto Riestra added.

Record Cruise Tourism Numbers

Mahahual and Cozumel accounted for 64% of Mexico’s total cruise arrivals in the first half of 2025, welcoming over 3.6 million passengers. Both ports are on track to surpass their 2024 record of 6.8 million maritime visitors.

According to federal tourism data (Sectur), Cozumel recorded 685 arrivals and 2.4 million passengers between January and July 2025, while Mahahual saw 302 arrivals and 1.2 million passengers.