Hotel operators in a highly popular area of Mexico may soon have to deal with an increase in the lodging tax.
Reportur.mx reports that hotels in the state of Quintana Roo-a state that hosts such popular destinations as Cancun and the Riviera Maya-may soon be hit with an increase to the lodging tax, going from three to four percent.
The report quotes Andrea Lotito, vice president of the Hotel Association of the Riviera Maya, who takes umbrage with the government taxing legitimate, tax-paying hotels while many continue to operate illegally.
Lotito states: "We continue to see government apathy towards the alarm cry of hotels that have against vacation rentals in the north of the state that do not tax; That's where they must put their energies and not raise the tax to 4 (percent)."
The report states that whispers of an increase took place at the industry gathering Tourism Tianguis of Acapulco.
At the time, hoteliers fought the notion but their protest, according to Tourism Promotion Trust of the Riviera Maya, Dario Flota Ocampo, wasn't done in an official manner so it looks as though the measure will ultimately go through.
At the heart of the matter are some 5,000 accommodations that, according to hotel operators, have been left to operate without paying taxes.
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Some see the proposed tax as a means to offset this fact and are understandably angered over it.
And this isn't the only tax increase to hit consumers in the region recently. The Yucatan Times reported back in December that the state had passed legislation that would tax gaming enthusiasts 10 percent. The report also signals the impetus behind the recent tax surge, citing that the CCE del Caribe has long sought funds for "infrastructure investment and urban development."
There is no mention in the report when a lodging tax increase will take place but notes government officials continue to look at the possibility.
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