Whoa!
Total Chaos …
Sorry!
We wrote an article about the Quintana Roo Tourist Tax last year when it was announced and we’re hearing all kinds of crazy stuff…
One person ended up paying $100 (two adults and two children) and doesn’t know how she got there!
Another person paid for her 4-year old when all resources said 15 and older.
There’s even a Trip Advisor thread where travelers are anticipating a Quintana Roo Tourist Tax for 15 years of age and older.
There lies the chaos!
Even the Cancun Hotel Association, as reported in the Cancun Sun, asked the state (Quintana Roo) to delay the new tourist fee until 2022 as they thought it would be best to give more time for getting information to airlines and tour operators. Did they foresee confusion?
We went to our Quintana Roo source and it is in fact for any traveler 4 years and up. They’re not sure where the ’15 and up’ originated and well….neither are we!
All resources – Mexico Daily News, The Yucatan Times, and other well known sources also stated 15 and up.
The fee is 224 pesos – that is correct – and at today’s rate of exchange it’s $11.23 USD – so if you see an amount over that (per person) – it’s clearly incorrect.
The state of Quintana Roo is expecting this tax to bring in $29.1 million in 2021.
Here’s what you’ll see when you go to Visitax to pay the new Quintana Roo Tourist Tax:
Bottom line…
The tax is for anyone 4 years old and over.
There’s a lot of confusion and we’re still looking into this so as chaos recedes we’ll update you with the latest.
We’ve kept our our original info below.
Here’s what we know about the Mexico Tourist Tax:
First,
You likely know Quintana Roo for sunny Cancun, the Mayan Ruins of Tulum, beautiful Riviera Maya and the beachy vibe of Isla Mujeres.
The State Secretary for Tourism (Marisol Vanegas) said that “a payment of 10 dollars to the international profile that we have will not make a dent” in the arrival of tourists, according to The Riviera Maya Times.
We can all agree that this has come about due to the loss of tourism in Mexico due to COVID-19 and the State Secretary of Tourism said it is due to the deficit that the state of Quintana Roo will have because of this.
But, this decision for the Mexico Tourist Tax did receive some opposition as hotels, travel agencies and tour operators think that travelers will seek out other destinations such as the Dominican Republic since they didn’t initiate a tourist tax and are looking at stimulating tourism instead.
The Riviera Maya Times went on to say that the National Air Transport Chamber (Canaero), which groups national and international airlines, cargo companies, air taxis, and service providers, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 290 airlines worldwide, joined the protest, and the country manager of IATA Mexico asked that they reconsider the decision.
In the latest updated according to Mexico News Daily, tourists will be able to pay this new tax electronically when they book their trip, during their stay or when they exit the state via a new site called Visitax.
If you’re over 15 years of age, you will be required to pay this new Quintana Roo Tourist Tax, which will be enforced upon departure.
We understand that there will also be an option to pay in cash using terminals at the airports.
Mexico Daily News went on to say that this tax is to help fund more tourism development in the state.
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