Travelers eyeing Mexico\u2019s sun-soaked shores via cruise ships may face increased costs starting next year. The Mexican government has approved a new US$42 immigration fee per passenger, impacting cruise ship visitors whether they disembark or remain onboard.<\/p>\n
Under this new regulation, Mexico\u2019s Immigration Institute will issue a \u201ccollective visa\u201d for all passengers on a cruise\u2019s manifest. This fee is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024, potentially reshaping the dynamics of cruise tourism to the country.<\/p>\n
Tourism industry leaders are voicing strong concerns about the added cost. The Mexican Association of Naval Agents (AMANAC) warned that combining the $42 immigration fee with an existing $5 per passenger local tax could make Mexican cruise destinations some of the most expensive globally.<\/p>\n
Tourism Concerns and Industry Impact<\/strong> The fee, which allocates two-thirds of its revenue to the Mexican army, has sparked debate. Critics argue it could drive cruise operators to bypass Mexican ports, especially as many 2025 itineraries are already booked. Michele Paige, CEO of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, emphasized the industry\u2019s concerns, noting that many companies are wary of unexpected fees.<\/p>\n However, some local leaders remain cautiously optimistic. Sergio Gonzales Rubiera, president of The Travel Agents Association in Cozumel, believes most cruise lines will incorporate the fee into future pricing, though he lamented that much of the revenue will go to the federal government rather than supporting local communities.<\/p>\n Government Stance<\/strong> Broader Context<\/strong> Source: Swifteradio.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Travelers eyeing Mexico\u2019s sun-soaked shores via cruise ships may face increased costs starting next year. The Mexican government has approved a new US$42 immigration fee per passenger, impacting cruise ship…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":13467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[399],"tags":[14925,4404,14926,14924,14921,14923,14927,14919,14918,14922,14920],"class_list":["post-13464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-amanac-mexico-cruise-fee","tag-amat","tag-claudia-sheinbaum-cruise-fee-defense","tag-cozumel-cruise-tourism-impact","tag-cruise-industry-response-to-mexico-fee","tag-cruise-ship-costs-mexico-2024","tag-mexican-cruise-destinations-fees","tag-mexican-immigration-fee-for-cruise-passengers","tag-mexico-cruise-fee","tag-mexico-tourism-changes-2024","tag-us42-cruise-passenger-fee"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/content\/dam\/ctvnews\/en\/images\/2024\/12\/5\/costa-maya-on-mexico-s-yucatan-peninsula-1-7135290-1733432699806.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/content\/dam\/ctvnews\/en\/images\/2024\/12\/5\/costa-maya-on-mexico-s-yucatan-peninsula-1-7135290-1733432699806.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Mexico’s Cruise Fee Hike: What Travelers Need to Know for 2024","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/staging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAMANAC predicts that Mexico could lose as many as 10 million cruise passengers and over 3,300 ship calls by 2025 if the fee proceeds as planned. This, they argue, would hinder Mexico\u2019s competitiveness compared to other Caribbean destinations that offer more affordable alternatives.<\/p>\n
\nMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the fee as an inflation-linked adjustment rather than a new tax. She assured us that discussions are ongoing to ease the transition and address industry concerns, though stakeholders are awaiting further details.<\/p>\n
\nThe fee comes as the Mexican government expands the military\u2019s involvement in infrastructure projects like the Tren Maya, a major railway connecting southeastern Mexico\u2019s tourist hotspots. While the fee aims to support such projects, its potential impact on tourism, especially cruise travel, remains a hot topic.<\/p>\n