Mexico has levied a £4 fee on all cruise passengers arriving in the country, effective from July 1. Originally, the government on every passenger, before a compromise was reached with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
Over the next three years, however, the fee will steadily increase to £17 per passenger. The tourist tax will be added to the cost of a cruise, meaning visitors won't have to pay the levy directly to the Mexican government. The FCCA represents 95% of cruise ships that make ports of call in Mexico.
According to the organisation, about 3,300 cruise ships are expected to stop in Mexican ports this year bringing 10 million passengers with them.
In a statement announcing the deal, the FCCA said: "We are grateful to Mexico's federal government for collaborating with us to reach an agreement on the transit fee that protects cruise ship tourism increasing benefits to local communities whose livelihood depends on it."
It comes as an increasing number of countries move towards levying taxes on cruise ship passengers.
In March the government of the Balearics unveiled a roadmap to creating a sustainable model for tourism on the Spanish islands.
One proposal put forward is to charge cruise ship passengers the maximum tourist tax rate.
The levy will rise from €2 (£1,68) per night to €6 (£5,04) per night during the peak cruising season.
The local government was forced to take action, as public anger grows over the number of tourists visiting the islands.
Tens of thousand of people took to the streets last year to vent their anger about the negative effects that mass tourism is having on their lives.
The Spanish archipelago is a very popular destination for cruise ships, with business growing every year.
In the first nine months of last year, 584 cruise liners docked in the Balearics, marking a 2.5% rise compared to the same period in 2023.
Spain welcomed in total a staggering 12.8 million cruise passengers in 2024, underscoring its status as a leading destination for the global industry.
