Chichen Itzá, Yucatan — Visitors to the popular ruins of Chichen Itzá could be in for a surprise when they are charged more than double for an entrance fee.
As of 2019, the government of Yucatán will increase the cost to enter the archaeological zone from 242 peso to 480 peso for foreign tourists. The price increase for Chichén Itzá is being supported by the local legislature, however, entrepreneurs of the tourist sector of Yucatán have written a letter stating their concerns about such an increase.
In a letter to the Legislative Branch, they say that the increase, which amounts to 110 percent, will cause economic losses to service providers and decrease the arrival of visitors to the site, adding that they cannot absorb that financial loss.
President of the Tourism Business Council (CETUR) Yucatan, Jaime Solís Garza, explained that at this time, tour companies have already scheduled their services for the year with the wholesale operators at December prices, adding that they were not notified of the intention to increase the entrance fee.
Solís Garza said that 90 percent of visitors to Chichen Itzá are foreign, of which about 90 percent come to site from Quintana Roo, leaving a negative impact on both Quintana Roo and Yucatán tour companies.
He stressed that if this increase is not reversed, the tour operators, transportation companies and travel agencies will take their Quintana Roo tourists to the archaeological zone of Tulum where the entrance fee is 75 peso.
