Tourism stats still strong

In news from the tourism industry, Hurricane Ivan may have missed Belize, but his journey across the Caribbean still managed to have an impact here. There was some beach erosion and damage to docks in San Pedro and Caye Caulker, and presumably similar effects were felt in the northern atolls. Those who earn a living from cruise tourism also took a hit as two ship arrivals were cancelled today. Not even the biggest ocean liner would want to be in the Yucatan Channel in the company of a category five hurricane. That obstruction should be temporary, however, as three ships are scheduled to be in the harbour come Wednesday morning.

Statistically, the cruise industry is having another spectacular year with arrivals for the period January through July running seventy-three point one percent ahead of last year. Nearly five hundred and ten thousand cruise tourists visited Belize during the first seven months of 2004. Overnight tourism, which represents the economy’s largest single activity, is also holding its own, recording a solid five point eight percent increase in arrivals from January through August. There has been a slight tapering off over the summer, however, and arrivals at Philip Goldson International Airport actually declined for the month of August by two point eight percent over August 2003.