Guatemala levies tax on tour vehicles

There was a bit of panic in the tourism community today concerning a circular issued by the Government of Guatemala. The announcement, distributed in the western Cayo district, seems to indicate that beginning February 15th, no tourist vehicles from Belize would be allowed to cross the border into Melchor de Mencos. If true that would be a major blow to the industry, as hundreds of Belize based visitors enter Guatemala each week, usually to tour the Maya site of Tikal. Officials at the Belize Tourism Board as well as the immigration post at the frontier, however, have informed News Five that that interpretation is not quite accurate. The real situation, they explained to News Five, is that vehicles will enter as they always have, but a new tax of thirty-five Quetzales…roughly ten Belize dollars…will be charged by Guatemalan Customs. Several reasons have been given for the new tax, among them, complaints from Melchor taxi drivers that they’re losing business and complaints from Customs, that Belizean vehicles are entering Guatemala and are sold there without any duties being paid. The new tax measure is not expected to effect cross border tourist traffic, which at this time of year is heavy in both directions.