Visitors to the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, home to popular resort cities such as Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and La Paz, are now charged a tourist tax of 350 pesos, equivalent to about $24 Canadian.
This surtax will be charged directly to tourists and will be payable at kiosks located in the state’s airports.
This will be thee first time that a Mexican state directly charges a tax to inbound tourists. Other Mexican cities charge tourists indirectly through hotel or airport-use taxes.
The state said the tax will be designated for “use of infrastructure” and will be used for “social service works.”
It is estimated that the tax will generate 490-million pesos, approximately CA$33,746,000, in its first year.
In the past, tourist resorts in Mexico have been criticized for doing little to benefit surrounding populations, which are often made up of poor communities.
