Airport fees

[RTBDiver]

In an effort to raise money for construction of a new commercial airport at Palmerola Air Base in the city of Comayagua, the National Congress on Wednesday night passed legislation authorizing the firm that manages the airports in Honduras -- InterAirports SA -- to raise the exit fee for international flights from US$30 to US$60 per passenger.
Hiking the Airport Exit Fee is Lunacy

 

[salth2owannabe]

If the powers to be don't think the additional fees play a role in where we spend our limited tourist $$$ they are in for a rude awakening! I factor these fees into the over all price of the airline ticket and if I can fly to a similar dive destination cheaper that's where we'll go.

 

[Doc]

Time to resurrect the secessionist movement again.

 

[dmoore19]

I was looking at a trip the the LDS I use is going to do mid 2011. I was told the price listed was probably going to drop because the taxes were dropping. :sigh:

I don't like the exit fee doubling. But then $30 pp more probably isn't going to change my mind if I do decide to go.

 

[Doc]

I don't like the exit fee doubling. But then $30 pp more probably isn't going to change my mind if I do decide to go.

I agree that for the serious diver who wants to see "the best of what's left" in the Caribbean, Roatan has a strong allure and likely the additional cost will make no difference. Unfortunately, unless you have been to Roatan before, you might have less incentive to pay the tax. There are also a few that have been before and either don't understand or see the difference in the reefs, or are just simply penny-wise and pound foolish. Either way, it isn't doing the island any good in terms of development of the tourist industry- as if the airfares weren't bad enough.

Reading the quoted article in its entirety, however- the impact that this doubling of the tax will have on other non-SCUBA activities will be far more hurtful to the Honduran economy. The myriad groups of Doctors through student/church groups who schlepp themselves down for a few weeks at a time will indeed be impacted. I could go off on my version of the reality of our spending huge sums for a trip to "provide assistance" by teenage church missions from the US (the costly importation of cheap "labor" makes absolutely no sense)~ but that's a different slant. This is going to adversely affect a lot of cash flow to the Honduran people.

And great, it's for a "commercial expansion" of a designated military airport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soto_Cano_Air_Base).
Fabulous, just what they need.

 

[scubafanatic]

.....yet another example of a banana republic thinking they can soak the rich gringo....unfortunately the rich gringo era is over, given the severe economic strains the average gringo faces now, and will face going forward.

 

[RTBDiver]

By no means do I feel the Honduran Governemnt does whats best for all but then again I cannot say that about my own US governemnt either.

.....yet another example of a banana republic thinking they can soak the rich gringo....unfortunately the rich gringo era is over, given the severe economic strains the average gringo faces now, and will face going forward.

Don't kid yourself, In the eyes of many ,anyone that can afford to travel simply for pleasure to foreign countries by jet is a rich Gringo, The vast majority of Hondurans only dream of living even the life today of the average gringo

 

[RickyF]

I have been to Roatan for the last four years, but the increase in the cost of airline tickets, plus the yearly increase of the dive resort I usually stay at has caused me to visit Cozumel for my two week vacation in 2012. I was able to rent a condo instead of just a room and the cost for diving is about the same.

 

[laurenceh]

well the genius minister of tourism for honduras seems to think that promoting domestic tourism is more important than promoting honduras abroad, i hope that strategy works for her because this will certainly effect the number of u.s. and canadians visiting. sadly many of them come here to do the work that the honduran government has failed to do. we already hear lots of complaining about the $30 exit charge and the 16% tourism tax, $60 may well be the straw that breaks the camel.

 

[Doc Harry]

The airport fee was US $38, not $30. I was just there in Roatan last week...

So it's not quite a doubling of the fee, it's at $22 increase from $38...