Cancún Hoteliers Oppose Sheinbaum's Non-Resident Fee Hike
Hotel leaders in Cancún warn that President Claudia Sheinbaum's planned increase to the Non-Resident Fee (DNR) will hurt Mexico's competitiveness.
Hoteliers in Cancún have voiced strong opposition to a planned increase in the Non-Resident Fee (DNR) included in the 2027 Economic Package. President Claudia Sheinbaum has stated the adjustment will not significantly impact tourism, but the local industry disagrees.
Rodrigo de la Peña, president of the Cancún, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association (AHCPMIM), said raising taxes on travelers reduces Mexico's competitiveness. He warned that tourists constantly compare the costs of their trips, and additional fees make other international destinations more attractive.
"An additional increase to the DNR, without a doubt, reduces competitiveness," stated the hotel leader. He noted the tourism industry already faces a significant tax burden and argued it is not advisable to keep increasing travel-associated costs.
Questioning the Use of Funds
De la Peña also questioned the historical allocation of resources collected through this fee. He recalled that the DNR was previously earmarked for tourism promotion through the Mexican Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM), which funded institutional promotional campaigns in international markets.
"This DNR was labeled before for promotion; when we had the Mexican Tourism Promotion Council, we had very important and institutional promotion," he pointed out.
The association president stated these resources later began to be directed toward infrastructure projects, including the Maya Train. He emphasized that the tourism sector needs clarity on how the income generated by foreign visitors is being used.
A Call for Tourism Promotion
The hotel sector's primary concern is a lack of promotional spending. De la Peña stressed that promotion is the most important issue, citing a significant problem of insufficient promotion for the country.
This report follows earlier calls from the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council for transparency in managing DNR funds. As previously reported by REPORTUR.com, council members have insisted that budget must be allocated to strengthen tourism promotion, improve the international positioning of destinations, attract visitors, and, for southern destinations, address the sargassum seaweed problem.
The industry's stance is clear: they view the fee increase as a competitive disadvantage. They are demanding that the revenue be used to directly benefit tourism marketing and address pressing regional issues like sargassum, rather than being absorbed into general infrastructure projects.
