Camera housing tax? ...

[yle]

Ultimately, this is just a glorified tourist tax. If they'd just implement a $200 Marine Park Fee and ensured the funds actually went to the parks I think most would be happy to pay it. Instead there is this twisted workaround and I'm certain the money collected is not funding anything of value to either tourists or your average Mexican citizen.

Have to be careful suggesting "you should implement this fee instead of this other fee" when you're dealing with this kind of situation.

You're likely to get "great idea!!" in response... and they implement both! (as evidenced by the recent jump of the marine park fee to $75 a day... and I'm sure they're still "taxing" camera housings.)

 

[yle]

I don't think this is likely to change. We are too small a demographic to matter. If anything, it might expand to other ports of entry.

The expansion to other ports of entry is unlikely, since all they are looking for is camera housings. Too small a demographic... yes: scuba divers who also have expensive camera housings. There are likely just three airports in all of Mexico that have a measurable fraction of their arriving passengers qualify: SJD, Cancun, Cozumel (and even including Cancun is generous.)

But certainly the strategy of connecting through another airport in Mexico is worth looking into, if only as a way of organized protest.

Coming from the east coast, Monterrey is pretty close to "on the way" to SJD. If you fly into MTY, take a one way MTY to SJD (just found some for $41... it's just over a two hour flight), and then just fly out of SJD to home after your trip, you avoid customs at SJD.

A little inconvenient, but it could be worthwhile.

From the west coast, the only practical option would be to fly into Tijuana, then down to SJD.