It’s official: 2002 best tourism year ever

Some rough figures had been quoted by the politicians, but today the Immigration Department confirmed that Belize’s tourism industry has made a remarkable recovery from the devastating effects of the nine-eleven terror attacks. Figures released yesterday show that 2002 overnight tourist arrivals at all ports of entry totalled a record one hundred and ninety-nine thousand, five hundred and twenty-one people. That number represents a one point eight percent increase over 2001. This compares favourably with virtually every other tourism destination in the region, most of which experienced drastic declines for the same period. Looking back to 1998, arrivals have increased by over thirteen percent. This is despite the negative impact of hurricanes Mitch, Keith and Iris.