Are you staying at Grand Residences in Puerto Morelos or will you be traveling to Cancun this year? If so, we would like to share information about two new municipal taxes that will affect you. As part of their work to protect the environment, the Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Puerto Morelos Municipal Governments will begin charging an Environmental Sanitation Fee to all hotel and resort guests in their districts.
In Puerto Morelos, the new environmental tax came into effect on January 1, 2019 and applies to owners and guests staying at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts.
The Benito Juarez municipal authorities will begin charging the new tax on March 1 and it will apply to members and guests staying at the Royal Resorts in Cancun.
In accordance with Municipal Finance Laws in Puerto Morelos, and to be implemented in Benito Juarez (Cancun) on March 1, 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 or 3-bedroom): $50.68 pesos per night
This fee is not covered by the annual Club Service Fees for Royal Resorts or Grand Residences 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 and Puerto Morelos, 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 and Puerto Morelos 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 Fees charged by the Benito Juarez and Puerto Morelos Municipal Governments 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 Isla Mujeres municipal government has also introduced an eco tax for hotel guests.
Worldwide, popular tourist destinations ranging from Barcelona to the Maldives have implemented similar green taxes.
