Tourist arrivals same as last June

Despite efforts to increase tourism during the slow season, the figures for June arrivals at the Philip S. W. Goldson International indicate the level of arrivals last month was almost exactly the same as last year. The Belize Tourism Board reports that eight thousand two hundred and two pleasure travelers arrived by air last month, just five people fewer than in June of 1998. While B.T.B. admits they were hoping for an increase in view of their aggressive marketing campaign, Director Valerie Woods says they are happy to have maintained the 8,000 visitor threshold, a significant improvement over June of 1996 when there were only about 6,000 arrivals. Traditionally Belize’s “slow” tourist season occurs in the summer months when temperatures rise in the United States. About 70 percent of Belize’s tourists are from North America and most come during the winter. However, Belize may not always be doomed to such seasonal fluctuations since Europeans are more likely to travel to this region in the summer months. With one-day connections now available from Europe to Belize on TACA Airlines, the B.T.B. is hoping to tap into this market.