The cruise ship industry is up in arms over a new tax that is set to be levied on its passengers.

The £33.18 per person charge could be implemented as early as 2026 for port calls in Mexico.

Mexico’s congress voted to impose the new tax in November, according to local reports.

Local media reports that two-thirds of the revenue would be allocated to military spending.

The industry has started expressing its concern over the new charges.

The Florida and Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has written to the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, demanding the tax be repealed.

The FCCA reportedly warned that the tax could “also jeopardize the cruise industry’s investments in the country”.

The organisation said this included “billions in planned developments and other projects intended to help rebuild Acapulco and cultivate new Mexican tourist destinations”.

The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents has also raised concerns. It claimed the charge could render Mexico uncompetitively expensive for cruise operators.

In a statement, the association said: “If this measure is implemented, it would make Mexican ports of call among the most expensive in the world, severely affecting their competitiveness with other Caribbean destinations.“

The group has urged Mexico’s Senate to reject the proposal. It points out that two-thirds of the revenue is slated for the defense department, for reasons that remain unclear.

Previously, cruise ship passengers had been exempt from immigration fees since they sleep aboard the vessels and many do not disembark during port calls. Under the new budget law, however, they would reportedly be subject to the fee regardless.

While there have been global initiatives to limit cruise ship activity due to concerns about overtourism, that ship has long sailed for Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Cozumel, for instance, has been the world’s busiest port of call for years, hosting around 4 million cruise passengers annually.