Quintana Roo is getting serious about collecting a visitor tax that was imposed by law on April 1, 2021, but has been loosely enforced, if at all.
The Mexican state that is home of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum, is one of the world’s busiest tourism destinations. And the airport at CUN is one of top ten busiest in the world, so the tax imposed on visitors should have immediately been a significant source of revenue.
At the time, the Mexican government said collected funds would be used to “help us protect our beaches and Mayan heritage sites.”
But in the more than two years since the tax was made law, there has been little in the way of enforcement. Travellers soon figured that out, and the young workers wearing VISITAX shirts at CUN were ignored by many, with no repercussions
During a recent trip to CUN, Canadian travel advisors admitted to TravelPulse Canada that they found the VISITAX process and lack of enforcement confusing. “Some people are paying, but many are not, and nothing seems to happen to them. I’m not sure what to tell my clients,” one advisor told us.
That has changed, and Toronto-based tech company Travelkore has been contracted to facilitate the automated collection of the tax, now set at US$18.80 per person. The fee must be paid by all non-residential visitors to Quintana Roo prior to arrival at CUN.
In a conversation with TravelPulse Canada, Tim Scurry, CEO of the Torkore group of companies that includes Travelkore, said the initial legislation on the state tax did not make clear that it was a mandatory payment, which led to inconsistency in both enforcement and communications from airlines and tour operators to their travellers.
In December, 2022, Scurry says, the law was changed to emphasize that the tax is mandatory. That was followed by a July 10 communications to operators and airlines that Scurry says, “made it abundantly clear” that the tax is mandatory and that operators are ordered to “collect and inform”. That got the attention of operators as now the law is clear, and the onus is on operators to make sure their customers are properly informed with an easy method of paying the tax.
This is the official website for paying the Quintana Roo VISITAX. It should be noted that www.travelkore.app is the only approved site for payment. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Scurry says the mandate given to Travelkore from Quintana Roo’s appointed state contractor was to “ensure the tax is easy to pay, easy to process and efficiently administered.” The result is a web-based platform where travellers can make their payment.
“We’ve built a user-friendly system and with basically one click, the traveller is provided a QR code which is presented upon customs entry at the Cancun airport. Upon departure, the QR code is cancelled,” said Scurry.
According to Scurry, the payment of the VISITAX through Travelkore’s platform is currently being integrated into the booking systems of airlines, tour operators, OTAs and GDS systems. A group of up to 10 persons can be processed on a single transaction.
Travellers can pay the tax themselves through the link above, but Scurry says travel agents can reinforce their value to clients by handling the process using the clients’ credit card.
By contacting [email protected], agents can register and be provided with two types of links branded to them. One link is designed to be used by customers directly and the other is designed to be used by the agent themselves.
Scurry says both operate in a similar manner, but the agent version of the link permits them to add an agency service fee of whatever amount they decide is appropriate. “We see this feature particularly useful for corporate clients or groups who are happy the travel agent can process the tax on their behalf,” Scurry says.
Agents using the second link to pay the tax on behalf of their clients will be paid a small fee in addition to receiving their service fee for processing the tax on behalf of their customers, and will be provided with a detailed transaction report each month. They can then use this report to produce an invoice to Travelkore each month.
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