Sun Country Airlines Commences Seasonal Flights to Belize
The inaugural flight from Minneapolis courtesy of Sun Country Airlines landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport around eleven a.m. on Saturday. The flight, which will bring tourists to Belize every Saturday, is seasonal and will only add to the already increased number of airlines now coming to the Jewel. News Five’s Duane Moody was there and files this report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Another airline is being added to the schedule to transport passengers from the continental U.S. to the Philip Goldson International Airport. A seasonal, weekly flight courtesy of Sun Country Airlines made its debut touchdown on Saturday and will continue to do so through to April. Filled to capacity, the flight which will come to Belize every Saturday will bring tourists to the Jewel from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the U.S.A.
Karen Pike
Karen Pike, Director of Marketing & Industry Relations, B.T.B.
“This is so amazing because we did not expect this when we started planning for this year. But when we heard from them that there were interested in coming and bringing a direct flight from Minneapolis, we were so excited. We got on the phone right away and made the arrangements for marketing. B.H.A., B.T.B. went to Minneapolis, we held sales presentations with their top agents. And now for today, December twenty-second, holiday time they are here in Belize.”
The tourists, who are from the midwest area of the United States, received packages courtesy of the Belize Tourism Board. They were also greeted with some live, all-time favourite Christmas brukdown music featuring drumming, guitar acoustics and the harmonica. According to Karen Pike of the B.T.B., this new airline will boost its heads-in-bed/overnight tourist numbers.
Karen Pike
“The target group from the Midwest of the United States of America; they have always been in our top twenty in terms of the source states from the U.S.A. so that was a no brainer for them. The target is the same as what we market for the entire U.S.—either millennials, baby boomers, families, couples—are they looking for adventure, looking for relaxation, looking for a mix of everything that they can get here in Belize. The flight came in full, totally full today so we are so exited for that because that means great benefits for the country. These people who are coming in today, plan to spend an entire week and they will go back next Saturday. So this is great for all the hotels, all the tour operators and tour guides in the country. Overnights we are definitely expecting double-digit growth again. We are right at fifteen percent right now for the first eleven months of the year, so December will definitely take us to a good number and this adds to that. And then for cruise tourism, of course like you said it is already over a million. So we are looking for more coming in December.”
There were three new airlines added to the routes this year. And while she did not want to disclose much, Pike says that there are lots more in store for 2019.
Karen Pike
“With our Director of Tourism and the Aviation Development Committee, they are actively seeking additional airlines to come. There are meetings scheduled for the early part of 2019—I can’t tell you where yet—but expect more to come.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
