Taboga Adjusts Rates for National and Foreign Tourists to Balance the Municipality’s Finances

The Taboga Municipal Council approved a modification to the tax system that directly impacts national and foreign tourists who enter the district by ferry boats.  Based on Municipal Agreement No. 25 of December 27, 2024, a one-dollar entry fee was established for national and foreign tourists. Previously, this fee was fifty cents.  However, the agreement includes exemptions for children under 12 years of age, residents of Taboga and their relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity, retirees and pensioners, diplomatic agents, and other persons on official missions or those whose purposes are not recreational. 

This amount, classified as “environmental contribution or compensation,” aims to finance cleaning services, guides to historical sites on the island, as well as promote benefits in restaurants, hotels and services that the municipality can provide.  According to municipal authorities, these measures seek to ensure a fiscal balance between the district’s income and operating expenses, allowing for the sustainability of its activities and the fulfillment of its legal responsibilities.  They also claim that the measure is in response to the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and to deficiencies in past administrative management.