New (Additional) Tourist Tax

[DandyDon]

Indonesia had a fee upon entry, to be paid in USD, and a fee upon exit, to be paid in IDR. It was confusing to some people who weren't prepared, but authorities did have money exchanges on hand. Since then, the fee was rolled into the ticket.

I have seen college age kids begging to pay departure fees at airports before those were built into plane tickets.

 

[deeper thoughts]

For the Cozumel experience 11 dollars is nothing.
We spend thousands to travel , if it helps do it

 

[GameChanger]

I'm not concerned about $11. I'm more concerned with the additional time and hassle it will mean at the airport upon departure. I'm not sure what "easy payments" means but it's another task and will take additional time. Hopefully it will just be temporary until the airlines can build it into the ticket price.

From the link:
"Tourists will be able to pay the new tax electronically when they book a trip, during their stay or upon exiting the state via a new website called Visitax which will launch before the end of the month.

New terminals will also be set up at the airport to make it easy for visitors to make payments. The tax applies to all international visitors over the age of 15."

 

[Sue Sue]

So it is possible we will be able to purchase a "tax ticket" upon our arrival while at the airport in preparation for our departure ? In other words..buy it ahead of time so you don't have to add another task on departure day... good to get it out of the way. We used to do this for Bonaire trips until the tax fee was as rolled into the ticket.

 

[Manatee Diver]

The most appealing cash cow to milk is the one who doesn't vote locally.

That works until visitors vote with their feet and go somewhere else. Many people chose Cozumel, Cancun, and the surrounding area because they are fairly cheap tropical destinations for Americans (using it to include all of the American's countries). Overmilking the cash cow might result in people considering other destinations, particularly in the post-pandemic era, where other Caribbean communities (particularly ones that had harsh lockdowns and tourist bans) will be dying to get traffic back

 

[ReefHound]

From the link:
"Tourists will be able to pay the new tax electronically when they book a trip, during their stay or upon exiting the state via a new website called Visitax which will launch before the end of the month.

New terminals will also be set up at the airport to make it easy for visitors to make payments. The tax applies to all international visitors over the age of 15."

Hopefully it will work as well in practice as in theory. Someone at the airport is going to have to verify the transaction was completed.

 

[cozcharlie]

I have seen college age kids begging to pay departure fees at airports before those were built into plane tickets.

20 years ago I lent the departure tax from either Yap or Palau to a couple of young military wives who lived in Guam. I heard their predicament waiting behind them in line at the airport—never saw them before or after. I think I had offered to just give it to them but they insisted it was just a loan.

I had forgotten all about it but sure enough there was an envelope waiting for me at my hotel in Guam when I did a scheduled overnight a week or two later. I always thought that was nice. I didn’t even get their names as far as I recall.

 

[ggunn]

Hopefully it will work as well in practice as in theory. Someone at the airport is going to have to verify the transaction was completed.

The last times when we had to pay a departure tax at the CZM airport, the airline collected it at check in.

 

[DandyDon]

For the Cozumel experience 11 dollars is nothing.
We spend thousands to travel , if it helps do it

Yeah yeah, so add $10 to walk on Melgar, $5 more to enter each store. It's nothing to you.

I'm insulted at them wanting to pay for ideas to attract business.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Yeah yeah, so add $10 to walk on Melgar, $5 more to enter each store. It's nothing to you.

I'm insulted at them wanting to pay for ideas to attract business.

Each his own, not an issue for us