Monthly airport arrivals show rare drop

In the past, we have been known to gently needle the Belize Tourism Board for shouting its good news from the rooftops, but keeping quiet about any developments that hint of negativity. Tonight, we have been proven wrong. Buried in the fifth paragraph of a BTB press release comes word that for the first time in eight months, arrivals at the Philip Goldson International Airport did not set a new record. In fact, for May they actually registered a two point two percent decrease over the same period in 2003. Other indicators, however, remained strong and arrivals for the first third of the year are up seven point eight percent over 2003.