Cancun, the tourist hub of the Mexican Caribbean, has long been one of the most popular destinations in the hemisphere and is currently undergoing significant changes for travelers.
All visitors to Cancun must now pay a tax of $18.80 per person, which as of this month is mandatory for all non-resident travelers landing at Cancun International Airport.
Quintana Roo, a state in the Mexican Caribbean, will use the new levy to pay for infrastructure upgrades.
The company has now chosen Travelkore, a Canadian business, to help with tax collection.
Since tourists cannot make a cash payment upon arrival, all visitors may now pay the tax directly via the Travelkore platform.
“We’ve built a user-friendly system and with basically one click, the traveler is provided a QR code which is presented upon customs entry at the Cancun airport. Upon departure, the QR code is canceled” said Tim Scurry, CEO of Travelkore.
In April 2021, the first VISITAX, which cost $11 per person, went into effect. Travel advisors will be able to collect a small fee per payment through Travelkore if they handle tax processing for their clients. For entering an agency fee “of whatever they see fit,” advisors will receive a link created exclusively for travel agents, according to Scurry, who spoke with TMR.
“We see this feature particularly useful for corporate clients or groups who are happy the travel agent can process the tax on their behalf,” he added.
After that, Travelkore will provide advisors with a monthly transaction report that they can use to create an invoice to submit to the company for payment. A Travelkore link for travelers is also available for all visitors to the country, who can use it to pay their own tourist tax in advance.
Tax payments can be processed in one transaction by groups of up to ten people. Scurry claims that Travelkore’s platform will integrate with a number of OTAs and GDS, including Amadeus.
All visitors to Quintana Roo must pay the tax, except for those entering by land across the southern border.
“All providers of services related to activities provided to foreign tourists entering the State of Quintana Roo, are informed that in compliance with article 51-Octies of the Law of Rights of the State of Quintana Roo, any foreign visitor, upon entering the State of Quintana Roo, must pay a fee for the use or exploitation of real estate of the public domain of the State of Quintana Roo, with the exception of those who enter through the Southern Border of the Entity,” stated Héctor Josè Contreras Mercade, the state’s general director of tax administration service.
For more infomation, visit Travelkore.