Mexican Government’s $42 Cruise Passenger Fee Rattles Tourism Sector

Currently, Jamaica charges $20 per cruise passenger who disembarks at its ports, while Cozumel charges $28. However, if the Mexican government's proposed $42 charge for cruise passengers in 2025 is approved, the cost will rise to $70. Michele Paige, CEO of The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), warned that this would make Mexico's fees 213% higher than the average Caribbean port charge for cruise tourists.

The FCCA, which represents over 200 ships in the Caribbean region, held a virtual press conference to discuss the issue. Paige explained that currently, Mazatlán charges $16 to its cruise passengers, while Mahahual charges $19. With the proposed increase, Mazatlán would charge $58 and Mahahual $61 by 2025. This means two of the main Mexican ports would charge nearly three times more than St. Martin, which charges $14 per person, or Jamaica, which charges $20 per passenger.

The proposed charge, already approved in committees in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, corresponds to the Non-Resident Right. This is a fee international visitors have always paid through air travel, but not cruise tourists, as their stay in the country is typically less than 24 hours.

Paige expressed surprise at the proposed charge, stating it was introduced suddenly without analysis of its potential impact on the cruise industry. In 2023, over 9 million cruise passengers aboard 2,743 ships visited Mexico. Despite efforts to communicate with federal legislators and the government of Claudia Sheinbaum, the proposal advanced over the weekend in the legislative chambers and could be approved by the full Congress of the Union on Tuesday, November 3.

Paige warned that the sudden introduction of the fee in Congress leaves little time for the cruise industry or Mexican communities and businesses that rely on cruise tourism to express their concerns. She also noted that some shipping companies may cancel routes to Mexico if the charge is implemented.

The FCCA has requested that the government of Quintana Roo pause the $5 charge agreed upon in 2023 for cruise tourists in Cozumel and Mahahual from 2025. This charge was intended for improvements to urban and tourist infrastructure in both ports. Paige pointed out that most cruises for 2025 are already booked and paid for, leaving vacationers little time to plan and save for these additional government-imposed taxes.