Mexico Proposes 35% Hike in Fee Charged to Foreign Tourists

Mexico City — Mexico’s federal government has proposed a 35 percent increase in the fee it charges foreign visitors, raising the so-called Non-Resident Fee (DNR) from 983 pesos to 1,334.80 pesos per traveler as part of its 2027 Economic Package.

The proposal, which would amend the Federal Law of Rights, would push the charge above annual inflation and above the tourism sector’s historical averages, according to Grupo Financiero Monex.

Officials justified the increase as a way to protect the revenue currently received by the Defense Ministry and the Treasury following a new distribution formula that channels more money to the National Migration Institute (INM).

Brian Rodríguez, a financial analyst at Monex, said that while double-digit annual adjustments of close to 14 percent have been typical, the proposed hike marks a considerable jump from previous levels.

He said the government’s central argument for the adjustment is to fund infrastructure and modernize the country’s entry procedures.

“An improvement in migration infrastructure is expected, along with shorter lines, digitalized processes and reduced entry times to speed up the flow at airports,” he said.

Rodríguez added, however, that the way the collected funds will be distributed has raised concerns among hotel and tourism industry leaders. The revenue would be split, with 50 percent going to the Defense Ministry (Sedena), 26 percent to the INM and 24 percent to the Treasury (Tesofe).

Within the funds assigned to the armed forces, he said, financing is planned for priority projects including the Tren Maya railway, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), Tulum Airport and the state-run Mexicana de Aviación airline.

“The main challenge is the lack of precision over how much of this increase will go toward promotion, advertising and attracting travelers,” he said.

Rodríguez noted that the DNR charge already places Mexico above competing Caribbean destinations such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

He also said that for an individual tourist, the DNR is only one of several components in the total cost of a trip, alongside airport use fees, airfare and lodging, meaning the fee alone is unlikely to significantly curb demand.

Still, he said, the measure coincides with a period of slowing arrivals of international visitors at Mexico’s beach destinations.