Mexico’s Congress votes to charge cruise ship passengers $42 per person for port visits

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cruise ship industry players are in turmoil after the lower house of Mexico’s Congress voted this week to impose a $42 immigration fee on every passenger on cruise ships that dock in Mexico.

In addition, two-thirds of the money raised would go to the Mexican military, not to improve port facilities.

Mexico’s Association of Shipping Agents blasted late Thursday, saying the accusations could make Mexico uncompetitively expensive for cruise ships.

“If this measure is implemented, Mexico’s ports of call would be among the most expensive in the world, which would seriously affect their competitiveness with other Caribbean destinations,” the association said in a statement.

The group called on Mexico’s Senate not to approve the measure, which requires two-thirds of immigration tax revenues to be transferred to the country’s Defense Ministry, for unclear reasons.

In the past, cruise ship passengers have been exempt from immigration fees because they sleep on board the ships and some do not even step off the ship during port visits. Apparently, under the new budget law, they would still have to pay the $42 fee.

There have been initiatives around the world to restrict cruise ships for fear of overtourism, but that train left the station long ago in the case of Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Cozumel has been the busiest port of call in the world for years, welcoming approximately four million cruise passengers per year.

“It is necessary to abolish the exemption from payment of immigration documents for foreign passengers entering Mexico on board cruise ships,” the new law said.

Mexico’s ruling Morena party already faces huge budget deficits to finance construction projects such as railways and oil refineries – some of which are being built by the military – and is desperate for new sources of revenue.

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