Belize is Booming And Has The Numbers To Prove It

by Brian Major
Last updated: 4:23 PM ET, Tue October 14, 2014

PHOTO: Airport arrivals, overnight stays and cruise ship visits are all on the rise for Belize. (Photo by Brian Major)

Belize's third quarter visitor arrival statistics reflect a destination in the midst of a surging travel boom. The country recorded 45,862 arrivals between July, an increase of nearly four percent from 44,133 in 2013. The increase comes in what is traditionally Belize's slowest travel period.

Visitor arrivals at Belize's Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport were in fact up higher in every month of the third quarter of 2014, said Belize Tourism Board (BTB) officials in a statement.

While increased airport arrivals are driving a corresponding growth in overnight stays, Belize is also expanding its cruise ship arrivals. Airport arrivals are up nine percent for the first nine months of 2014, while overnight stays are up by 11 percent and cruise ship arrivals are up by 45 percent.

Caribbean Tourism Organization statistics show Belize hosted 238,400 visitors between January and August 2014, a 10.9 percent increase over 2013. Belize recorded 527,037 cruise ship visitors between January and June, a robust 36.9 percent increase over 2013. The totals have "exceeded forecasted numbers for this quarter," said officials in the BTB statement.

"We know that the visitor experience in Belize is one of the highest in this region, and that can only improve as we continue to elevate the quality of our product offerings and the level of service," said Alyssa Carnegie, BTB's director of marketing.

Belize's tourism growth continued at the quarter's end, said BTB officials. The country recorded a 12.1 percent increase in overnight visitors in September, and a 77.9 percent increase in cruise ship visitors from July to September. Belize's cruise ship arrivals increased over 40 percent in each month of the third quarter.

BTB officials recently announced expanded air service to the destinations, including an increase by Delta Airlines in flights from Atlanta from eight to 12 weekly, representing an additional 596 seats per week. Delta will also resume weekly non-stop flights between Los Angeles and Belize on Nov. 7, 2014, representing an additional 160 seats per week.

Also United Airlines will launch weekly Chicago-to-Belize flights in December of through May 2015. United currently flies to Belize from Houston and Newark.

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