Canadians Will Have To Pay A New Tourist Tax When Travelling To Mexico
There's nothing like jetting off to a sandy beach and basking in the warm weather. But it now will be more expensive for Canadians who are travelling to some popular tourist destinations. The new tourist tax in Mexico means Canadians will have to dish out some extra cash on their vacations.
A new tourist tax from the Mexican state of Baja California Sur comes into effect on November 9 for all foreign tourists who visit the area, including Canadians.
So from now on, if you're travelling to the state of Baja Californa Sur for any reason, you'll have to pay the tourist tax.
In a tweet translated from Spanish, the state's governor, Carlos Mendoza Davis said the tax "will strengthen public safety, health, education, housing, employment, sport, culture, agricultural and fisheries development, and tourism and social infrastructure."
This new tax will set you back MXN350, which equal just over CA$24. That might not seem like a lot but when you add that cost to things you're already paying for like your flight, accommodation, food, and activities, the tax makes your trip a little pricier.
According to The Associated Press, tourists resorts in Mexico are surrounded by poor communities and the resorts have been criticized for not doing much to help those communities.
Baja California Sur is home to many popular Mexican destinations like Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo, and La Paz, the state's largest city.
And Canadians love travelling there if airlines adding new routes to destinations like Los Cabos is anything to go by.
So, this tax will definitely generate some revenue for the state.
The tourist tax for Baja California Sur will be charged to tourists directly and will be payable at kiosks in airports.
Davis also tweeted that people will be able to pay the tax online.
Other cities in Mexico do something similar to this tourist tax but charge people indirectly through hotel or airport taxes instead of directly like what will happen in Baja California Sur.
If you're planning on travelling to a destination where the tourist tax is in effect, be sure to budget it in.
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