Nuevo León hoteliers request that the Lodging Tax be dedicated 100% to promoting the destination

Monterrey, NL. La Mexican Association of Hotels of Nuevo León considered that the hotel offer It is beginning to recover, but it requires that 100% collected from the Lodging Tax (ISH) be assigned to the Tourism Trust, so that it is dedicated to promoting the destination for meeting tourism.

This year 150 million pesos of ISH were collected, of which 40 million were assigned to the state Tourism Trust. For next year, this tax will increase to 180 million pesos, however, the hotel sector is concerned about not knowing what these resources are being used for, indicated Jesús Fernando Nader Marcos, president of the Association.

In context, Benjamín Clariond Reyes-Retana, partner of Grupo Posadas, recalled that during his government in Nuevo León, 2% of the Lodging tax (ISH), and a trust was established that managed the private initiative and the state government and dedicated 100% to promoting tourism.

With the arrival of Jaime Rodríguez in 2015, the tax was increased by 50% and the contribution to the trust was reduced in the Expenditure Law, since then it is not known what the destination of the income has been, “perhaps for current spending” stressed Benjamin Clariond.

Part of these resources served as seed capital to publicize events such as Machaca Fest, Pa’l Norte and Iron Man, now they are no longer given any contribution as they are already well positioned, Clariond added.

Airbnb competency

In another order of ideas, the managers commented that it is urgent that accommodation be regulated through Airbnb, since so far this year it has sold 200 million pesos in Nuevo León, according to the study carried out by Francisco Madrid, from Center for Research and Tourism Competitiveness of the Anahuac University.

Benjamin Clariond, pointed out that there is a bill to regulate accommodation through Airbnb, as well as informal hotels and motels in the state, “we need the sector to be more competitive.”

Jesús Nader affirmed that this competition is here to stay for what they request that they pay their taxes, just as the formal hotel sector does.

kg