New Tax Threatens Mexican Cruise Tourism

Mexico's Senate has approved a reform to the Rights Law, which will impose a $42 charge on cruise tourists starting in 2025. The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) has urgently appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum to reconsider this measure. They argue that this charge would make Mexican tourist ports among the most expensive globally, significantly affecting the country's competitiveness against other Caribbean destinations.

Amanac has also voiced support for the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's (FCCA) stance. They believe this new tax could lead to a shift in the main cruise lines' routes from 2026, resulting in a noticeable decrease in ship arrivals. Amanac states, "The increase in immigration costs could raise landing expenses by up to 213% compared to other regional ports, pushing Mexico away from the global tourist market."

Currently, cruise passengers arrive under the transit exemption regime, known as the Non-Migrant Right (DNR). However, the removal of this exemption and the new charge, along with a $5 tax applied by Cozumel and Mahahual starting in 2025, would increase the total cost to $47 per passenger. Amanac warns that this change could undermine the competitiveness of Mexican ports and the economic benefits generated by the industry. The cruise sector contributes roughly $1 billion annually in direct expenses, creates over 20,000 jobs, and contributes more than $200 million in wages.

Amanac asserts that if this charge is not reversed, Mexico could lose up to 10 million passengers and over 3,300 ship calls in 2025. This would directly impact the local economies of tourist ports and thousands of small suppliers and national companies.

Meanwhile, Eugenio Segura, the newly appointed president of the Tourism Commission in the Senate, has requested a delay in the reform's implementation to minimize its impact on the cruise tourism sector. He proposes a 180-day postponement, stating, "This way, tax collection is balanced with the protection of the tourism sectors." Segura believes this waiting period would help companies mitigate the economic impact, considering that shipping companies have already marketed vacation packages for the next six months of 2025.

Currently, the two cruise ports in the Mexican Caribbean, Cozumel and Mahuahual, receive 70% of all cruise passengers nationally. Quintana Roo, in particular, closed the third quarter of the year with 5 million cruise passengers and is on track for a new record, having already surpassed pre-2019 pandemic figures.