Cozumel News this week October 29 – November 4th:
In Cozumel News This week Water Taxis Coming to Cozumel, The Passenger Ferry Discount, More on the VA Tax Increase and a Hurricane Update. Have a great Week!
Water Taxis Are Coming to Cozumel!
Federal Permits have been issued to Naviera Magna SA to operate water taxis in Cozumel. The 350 passenger “Overseas” will taxi Cruise passengers from Puerta Maya and SSA Mexico Piers to the San Miguel Dock. It was reported that the passengers would be paying as little as one dollar per person and the cost of the tickets would be prepaid as part of the Cruise.
The service is currently provided by local taxis on land at a cost of five to seven dollars for the five kilometer distance. The arrival of water taxis in 2014 will deal a financial blow to the Cozumel Taxi industry. It is unclear what if anything can be done to stop the water taxis as they are licensed federally by the Ministry of Communication and Transportation through the General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine.
Passenger Ferry Discount
Federal Campaign promise ‘Engagement 168’, has been a big disappointment to residents of Cozumel. The idea was to make it more accessible to people crossing in general, not just residents, who already have discount credentials but especially for tourists both foreign and nationals.
Cozumel is watching how the rest of the tourist destinations of the State benefit increasingly from domestic tourism arriving in summer seasons, Christmas / New Year, and Easter. In comparison, only very small numbers visit the island as it is impossible for the average Mexican to pay about 160 pesos for a crossing just over 15 miles. In addition to the cost of the round trip to visit Cozumel, they must also pay a taxi to get to and from any of the beaches and other attractions not found in the immediate downtown area.
The 10% lower ship fare to and from the island, will benefit only about one-fifth of the population, resident s that have credentials issued by shippers. The 10% discount will be very insignificant after the 5% increase taxes and will do nothing to help increase tourism to Cozumel.
More on the Tax Increase
Members of the private sector are calling on Federal Representatives to review, consider and reconsider the negative impact the tax increase will have in Cozumel both as a tourist destination and to the general population. The (VAT) tax increase from 11% to 16% has been approved by the legislature to start January of 2014.
A press conference held on October 25th was chaired by the leader of the Business Coordinating Board on the island, Delille Demita Cabrera. She expressed the position of the group which included leaders from the Cozumel Hotel Association (CHA), the College of Civil Engineers, the Association of Architects, the Association of Accountants, the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism, the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry and Spicy Food (Canirac), the Mexican Association of Women Entrepreneurs (AMMJE), the Mexican Association of Travel Agencies (AMAV), and the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex) in Cozumel.
All of them are against the passage of the Tax Reform, noting the increase in tax will result in a “catastrophic” wave of unemployment and closures of businesses that offer services in border towns. The impact will be felt greater in Cozumel, placing it at a competitive disadvantage in relations to other Caribbean destinations. The business leaders, agreed that the three border states of Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur and Baja California Norte, deserve to be treated differently, especially Quintana Roo, since it is the entry point of 70 percent of Mexico’s tourism and foreign visitors. They therefore will be relying heavily on the good judgment of Congress.
Slim to No Chance of Hurricanes!
On October 26th, Rudy Navarrete, Director of Civil Protection, Fire and Lifeguard reported that the arrival of cold fronts weaken the possibility that the region will receive the brunt of any weather. However, he reminds us that weather is erratic and sometimes deceives. In any event, they are closing the season (hurricane) on November 30 officially, He does not rule out that later in December we may have a bad time, with the presence some atmospheric disturbance but that “it is a remote possibility.” Given the changes in temperature, it is recommended that children and adults take precaution due to the drastic change in temperature by drinking plenty of water and taking vitamin C to prevent respiratory diseases. Calculations predict a phenomenon of between 35-40 cold fronts during this winter. Great news, Cozumel, no hurricanes in the forecast!
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