B.T.B. Says Visitor Arrivals Were Up in 2015

Belize’s tourism industry is being tainted with the recent murder of U.S. visitor Anne Swaney, which is still under investigation. But according to the Belize Tourism Board, the industry made great strides in 2015, improving visitor arrivals by six point two percent over 2014. The B.T.B. reports seven consecutive months of arrival increases, with September, October, November and December registering the biggest jump. The B.T.B. notes that in November, thirty-three percent more visitors came to the jewel.  Another first was in the month of December with close to forty thousand overnight visitors arriving. Two airlines started flights to Belize, Southwest and COPA, contributing to more tourist arrivals at the P.G.I.A.  Of interest is that while the U.S. remains the dominant market, there is a surge in visitors, as much as fifty percent, from Latin America.  And one last figure from the B.T.B., the total increase in Airport Arrivals for 2015 was seven percent.