Belize's Time is Now

The Belize archipelago's once quiet and lush landscape has emerged as one of the Caribbean's fastest-growing destinations, a scenario that may forever impact its once-sleepy character.

Last year Belize recorded a 13 percent increase in land-based visitor arrivals (with 385,580 overnight visitors) and a five percent increase in cruise ship arrivals (1,005,394 guests). For the first nine months of the 2017, overnight land-based visitor arrivals increased 8.6 percent.

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has been at the forefront of the country's strong tourism growth, executing a national plan that has established standards and goals for its critical tourism industry. The agency has also worked to aid Caribbean neighbors (and competitors) in tough times.

While Belize was spared the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the country's tourism stakeholders did their part to help impacted islands, launching a Dollar for the Caribbean Relief Fund campaign.

BTB donated $1 for every October tourist arrival, with other stakeholders (from hotels to attraction operators) also donating a $1 for each guest. The BTB initiative was supported by groups including the Belize Tourism Industry Association, the Belize Hotel Association, tour operators, water taxis, hoteliers and local airlines.

We recently spoke with BTB's Director Karen Bevans to discuss the country's booming visitor arrivals and goals for what appears to be a positive tourism future:

TravelPulse: How successful has Belize been in increasing visitor arrivals?

Karen Bevans: We were in the top five for the highest growth in the [Caribbean] region. We are seeing at the end of September, which is the third quarter, an 8.6 percent increase in overnight visitor [arrivals]. As of September, cruise was up 3.7 percent.

Last year was the first year we reached the one million cruise passenger mark. In October we had some additional cruise calls [from ships] diverted by the storms.

TP: What motivated Belize's tourism stakeholders to assist in storm recovery in other Caribbean islands via the Dollar for the Caribbean Relief Fund campaign?

KB: We recognize we were fortunate. Tourism is the number one source of revenue for most of the Caribbean countries so, without tourism, they are really in a bad situation. We were fortunate to be spared, and we are receiving more [visitors] due to their bad situation.

Basically, we're saying to help the Caribbean, you should visit the Caribbean because the more visitors Belize gets, the more we can give. We launched this with other tourism stakeholders in Belize, and we are pleased they agreed to be a part of this.

TP: What are the experiences and activities that draw travelers to Belize?

KB: Belize offers a rich mixture of cultures and activities. You can be in Belize for seven days and do something different every day or immerse yourself in a different culture every day.

We have Garifuna, Maya and Indian cultures, alongside others, and recently we have publicized aspects of Chinese culture because of the influx from that country. Cuisine is also tied to each community so you can experience the culture through its cuisine.

We have our Mayan sites and great diving with our terrific barrier reef, one of the largest in the world. Locals refer to it as the largest living barrier reef in the world because it seems the one in Australia is dying.

TP: Belize's tourism growth has not been without some controversy as some environmentalists and local tourism operators have questioned the environmental and societal impact of large-scale tourism projects like Harvest Caye. How has BTB sought to address these concerns?

KB: For [BTB] to have any credibility, we have to focus on protecting our environment.

Our intention is to enforce our laws and do all that we can to protect our natural environment and ensure the protection of our natural assets. Our efforts reflect our recognition of what is driving the tourism industry in Belize. If we lose those things, then we don't have any tourism industry. That's why we work so hard to ensure that all regulations and environmental standards are met.

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