Replies: 11 - Last Post: 13-Nov-2007 16:12 Last Post By: bowneline
Pernel S. Thyseldew
'DigThatCrazyFarOutPlanetMan'
"When you are down to a macrame g-string and a monkey on one shoulder and a parrot on the other ...then nobody will steal from you... except the PARROT thieves!"
2
It ain't just Ensenada, it's every port in Mexico. Here's another newspaper article:3
This is a lot of fuss over nothing. Mexico's the most popular cruise ship destination in the World and a I doubt that potential passengers will cancel or not take trips stopping in Mexico because of a US$5 p.p. charge. As one of the articles mentions, however, there's concern in some quarters about how local/federal governments will use the new tax money. As for Ensenada being dropped as a destination/stop for cruise ships (at least one of the companies) I think that's probably more of an indication of the growing sophistication/demand of the cruise passengers who'd rather spend time further south than close to the USA border. Another unpopular stop is probably at the other end of the country, south on the Pacific Coast . . . at Tapachula (nearby); passengers there are still wondering why some ships heading through the Panama Canal stop there.4
Quote
"What if you have a family of five or more and they charge you for three or four different ports?" asked Uriza. "That adds up after a
while."
5
In a recent meeting of all the cruise lines in Cozumel, Carnival execs, among others, warned Mexico that they are already the most expensive of all the ports to visit and they were risking having the ship lines look for other ports of call if they pass this addtional tax. Mexican officials chose to ignore the warning so it will be interesting to see where this leads.6
QuoteI well remember the "Crisis" of the $11 a barrel oil in 1998 that trigered this fee....It is still not well administered if you drive or walk in or bus in. Having to find a bank that validates the dang thing is a drag, to say the least.
Mexico's 19.50-dollar visitors' fee (DNI), which is calculated
Pernel S. Thyseldew
'DigThatCrazyFarOutPlanetMan'
"When you are down to a macrame g-string and a monkey on one shoulder and a parrot on the other ...then nobody will steal from you... except the PARROT thieves!"
7
This reminds me of the old saying....."Stepping over the silver dollars to pick up nickels".
Pernel S. Thyseldew
'DigThatCrazyFarOutPlanetMan'
"When you are down to a macrame g-string and a monkey on one shoulder and a parrot on the other ...then nobody will steal from you... except the PARROT thieves!"
10
The tax alone will not add up to a big increase as a percentage of the total trip cost but the psycological cost on the tourist is significant. Add to this the upcoming increases in airfare due to increasing fuel cost, probable increases in prices for the cruises themselves due to rising fuel cost and supply cost and a very weak dollar. With all these factors it would be very possible that there could be a significant drop-off in cruise passengers. Even for the port cities that don't lose entire shiploads of passengers, a loss of 5-10% in visitation added to a similar reduction in spending by those who do come could make a major impact on local economies.11
#8, I think that the thousands, (perhaps millions) of Mexicans (and their families) that rely on the tourist industry to put food on the table would disagree that it would be better for the tourist industry to leave. As I am positive you know (becuase it looks like you live in Mexico), the locals are not so much affected by the "gringified prices" because they don't eat/shop at those places - so a decrease in those prices does not benefit them - in fact it hurts them because it means less money in the local economy, and a decreasing tide lowers all boats.Posted By: VenessaP -- 28-Jan-2010 15:01
Posted By: VenessaP -- 09-Dec-2009 17:01
Mexico: Destination information
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