Quintana Roo's tourist tax will increase by roughly $2 on Feb. 1, Travelkore says

The new price of the visitor tax collected by Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo is coming into clearer focus after a new UMA was announced by state officials on Tuesday (Jan. 9).

As previously reported, VISITAX, which funds local infrastructure projects and protects local assets (like beaches) in Quintana Roo, is set to increase on Feb. 1, 2024 when Mexican taxes change.

The new amount hasn’t been clear until now. In an email to PAX on Wednesday morning (Jan. 10), Tim Scurry, CEO of Toronto-based Travelkore, which is authorized to collect the tax, said VISITAX will increase to 351 Mexican pesos (which, as of Jan. 10, is $20.67 USD, or $27.67 CAD).

That is roughly $2 more than the current amount, $18.80 USD, which is what Travelkore is mandated by the Mexican government to collect. 

The state of Quintana Roo's website also collects the VISITAX. 

The new tax price will go into effect on Feb. 1, Scurry said.

Quintana Roo is home to popular tourist destinations such as Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, and while VISITAX has had a bumpy ride since launching in April 2021 (mainly due to unclear messaging and prices, as well as lax enforcement at CUN airport), the tax is nonetheless mandatory.

In July 2023, the head of taxation for Quintana Roo issued an official communication, making it compulsory for travel operators to “inform and collect” VISITAX – which can be paid either upon arrival, during a stay or before leaving Mexico.

The order was certified through the apostille process, which means it has an international standing in law.

The state of Quintana Roo has work to do in reaching 100 per cent compliance, however.

In July, as reported by Sipse, a Mexico-based news outlet, at least four out of 10 tourists (at the time) were not paying the tax.

The state’s initial projection of VISITAX, in March 2021, was to collect some $600 million pesos per year.

But according to data released last summer by the Quintana Roo Tax Administration Service, the annual collection was hovering at the $103 million pesos mark.

Hotel officials in the Mexican-Caribbean region have also expressed concern over the way VISITAX is collected and promoted.

According to Reportur.com, the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, in September, requested that Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama analyze the viability of the tax, noting inconsistencies in how the fee was being portrayed in advertisements, hotels and in CUN airport.

Several unauthorized websites are also collecting the tax – in some cases, at higher prices.

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