Belize, region seek increased cruise taxes
As the fastest growing cruise ship destination in the Caribbean, Belizean tourism officials should be whistling a happy tune…but a history of boom and bust in Caribbean tourism has taught the region that complacency is the one marketing strategy that never works. With that lesson in mind, members of the Caribbean Tourism Organization are suggesting that the nations of the region join together to invoke a special fee for each cruise ship passenger that visits their shores. Suggested price: twenty U.S. dollars. The idea is to use the extra money to promote the entire region through positive marketing and product development. According to Director of Tourism Tracy Taegar, Belize is on board with the idea.
Tracy Taegar, Director of Tourism, B.T.B.
“Head tax goes anywhere from one dollar, and the only country I know that exceeds the five U.S. dollar mark significantly is Bermuda that has a sixty dollar head tax. But I think that our head tax is in line with what the region is requesting at this time.”
“Quite a few strategies have been explored and the latest formula is really to tax the cruise lines a twenty dollar fee, which would be added on like a blind tax, I believe, to the fares to travel on a cruise destination to any cruise line that visits any of the C.T.O. member countries or any of the CARICOM countries.”
“The twenty dollar fee would not impact anything we are doing here locally; if that’s the question. Currently we have an agreement where a portion of the head tax remains with the Tourism Village and the other portion goes to PACT. That formula would not be affected by the twenty-dollar head tax. The twenty dollar head tax would be used specifically for regional marketing and product development initiatives.”
“Like Belize, I believe CARICOM supports the concept. It has to be fleshed out some more, certainly discussions have to happen with F.C.C.A. and the cruise lines, however, the endorsement for CARICOM to explore and move forward with the initiative has been given.”
The new twenty dollar fee will be discussed in detail at the next meeting of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, scheduled for October sixteenth through eighteenth.
