Are you traveling to Cancun this year? If so, this is a reminder about a new municipal green tax that will affect you. As part of its work to protect the environment, the Benito Juarez (Cancun) Municipal Government will begin charging an Environmental Sanitation Fee to all hotel and resort guests on March 1, 2019, including members and guests staying at the Royal Resorts in Cancun.
In accordance with Municipal Finance Laws, the Environmental Sanitation Fee that will be charged to your account at check out is as follows:
Room: $25.34 pesos per night
Suite $25.34 pesos per night
Villa (2-bedroom) $50.68 pesos per night
This fee is not covered by the annual Club Service Fees for Royal Resorts members or by All-Inclusive room rates.
What will the taxes be used for?
The proceeds from this new Green Fee will be used to contribute to environmental protection and sanitation initiatives in Cancun, such as:
- Beach cleaning
- Water treatment
- Waste collection
- Reduction of carbon emissions with LED lighting
- Reef conservation
- Coastal wetland management
- Reforestation and other programs geared towards making Cancun more sustainable destinations
Why is an Environmental Tax needed?
The white sand beaches and coral reefs of the Mexican Caribbean are world-famous; its jungles and wetlands are home to rare species of birds and animals. Yet visitor numbers and population growth are outpacing public services and placing pressure on area ecosystems. More action is needed to improve water treatment and waste management for the health of the environment. The new Green Fee charged by the Benito Juarez Municipal Government will be used for such programs.
In the Riviera Maya, the Solidaridad Municipal Government began charging an Environmental Sanitation Fee to all hotel guests in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area in the fall of 2017. The Puerto Morelos municipal government also introduced an eco tax for hotel guests on January 1, 2019.
Worldwide, popular tourist destinations ranging from Barcelona to the Maldives have implemented similar green taxes.
