by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:40 PM ET, Fri October 11, 2024
UPDATE: Friday, October 11, 2024, at 2:40 p.m. ET
The Governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, has announced that Cancun International Airport will no longer charge travelers a fee for bringing more than one large electronic device in their luggage.
The change is effective immediately.
"This was an old franchise regulation that no longer aligns with these times of technology, home office, in addition to the key tourism sector who travel to our destination to attend conferences, conventions and professional meetings," said Lezama.
"We are thankful to the authorities for their sensibility and for listening with the goal to adapt to this new era, and beginning today, this charge has been eliminated for both National and International travelers."
Next time business travelers fly to Mexico, they must
be aware of potential fees levied at airports south of the border for having
too many electronics.
According to the Riviera
Maya News, reports are on the rise from tourists being charged an average
of $190 for arriving at airports with more than one larger electronic device,
such as laptops and tablets.
Mexico’s Servicio de Administración Tributaria reportedly
limits the number of larger electronic devices travelers can bring through
customs without paying a fee to just one, but they are permitted to have as
many as three cell phones or other wireless devices.
If travelers cannot or will not pay the tax, customs agents will
confiscate the devices.
Tourists arriving from the United States do not face the same
electronic limitations from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents,
which can cause potential issues when going through customs in Mexico.
Tulum Hotel Association President David Ortiz Mena told the
Riviera Maya News that despite the efforts of local tourism officials to
attract more visitors, issues like the electronic device limitations could be
detrimental to the destination’s public perception. “If we want to be a tourist
powerhouse, let us be consistent,” Ortiz Mena said. “This practice of traveling
with more than one electronic device is not usual and, yes, it hurts our image.”
Elite Travel
President Tammy Levent shared her ordeal with customs at Cancun International
Airport, who allegedly faced a similar fee for bringing in additional electronic
devices. Levent claims she was “coerced into compliance under threat” and
forced to pay $170 to bring her Apple iPad into the country.
VIP Vacations Inc.
President Jennifer Doncsecz shared a similar incident at Cancun International
and how she avoids potential issues with Mexican customs agents:
“I was pulled aside when I hosted an event a few years ago
because I packed every t-shirt and program in one suitcase. The t-shirts had
the event logo on them and the programs were for the event (clearly, I wasn’t
selling either). I tried to argue with them, but they insisted on charging me a
customs fee for the T-shirts. From that point on, I spread out the
materials/items I am bringing down between two checked bags and my carry-on and
I haven’t been picked out since that time a few years ago.”
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