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The domestic airline industry has suffered an equally devastating blow as hotels, resorts and other tourism-related businesses that have seen a significant loss of revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. When air travel ground to a halt during the national state of emergency back in March, it included all local flights, severely crippling […]
Written on October 1, 2020 | Posted in
Featured,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on What are Local Airlines Looking Forward to with P.G.I.A. Reopened?
United and American Airlines are set to resume commercial flights beginning this Thursday. More than seven hundred Belizeans and visitors are to land at the Philip Goldson International Airport in the next few days. For months, the industry has been preparing for the day when the tourism industry can begin to bounce back and spur […]
Written on September 30, 2020 | Posted in
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People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Is the P.G.I.A. Ready for Reopening? Here is a Look at Protocols in Place
The Phillip Goldson International Airport is less than two days away from resuming all operations, following a suspension of arrivals and departures, with the exception of repatriation flights, since March twenty-third. American and United flights are said to be full but the passengers are mostly Belizeans. Tonight final preparations are underway, including a walkthrough of […]
Written on September 29, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Still No Response from G.O.B. on B.T.I.A.’s Letter to the Prime Minister
With the resumption of daily flights from the P.G.I.A., tourism stakeholders are looking at ways in which the local industry can benefit from the advantage of a lower cost structure. A number of small hotels have been brutally affected and have to close permanently. The competition, says Burgos, is coming from Mexico, Guatemala and other […]
Written on September 29, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.T.I.A. Looks at Competitive Advantage Upon Reopening of P.G.I.A.
This Thursday, October first, the Philip Goldson International Airport officially reopens to international tourists. But there are still lingering concerns from tourism stakeholders on the protocols and the processes in place at the airport as well as mandatory quarantining for visitors as well as returning Belizeans. During today’s Ask the Experts webcast, Director of Health […]
Written on September 28, 2020 | Posted in
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Health,
Travel |
Comments Off on Protocols & Processes Fine-tuned for Reopening of P.G.I.A.
Last week, the Ministry of Health launched rapid testing in the north in the village of August Pine Ridge, Orange Walk. During that activity, some sixty-six persons were processed and within minutes, six tested positive using an SD BIOSENSOR Rapid Test. These rapid tests will be used by personnel on the ground when the airport […]
Written on September 28, 2020 | Posted in
Health,
Travel |
Comments Off on Rapid Testing Used on International Flight
The Phillip Goldson International Airport is less than a week away from reopening and once again final preparations are being made to ensure that strict protocols are put in place where COVID-19 is concerned. Despite government’s best efforts, the Belize Tourism Industry Association wrote to the Prime Minister on Independence Day urging him and the […]
Written on September 23, 2020 | Posted in
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Health,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.T.I.A. Asks Prime Minister and the N.O.C. to Rethink its COVID-19 Strategy
The National Oversight Committee met earlier today to discuss the reopening of the international airport. The three-page letter was forwarded to several tourism officials who also sit on the N.O.C., however, according to Burgos, they are not certain whether any focus was placed on the letter or the recommendations. John Burgos, Executive Director, B.T.I.A. […]
Written on September 23, 2020 | Posted in
Health,
Travel |
Comments Off on Was B.T.I.A.’s Letter Discussed at Today’s N.O.C. Meeting?
The reopening of the P.G.I.A. on October first precedes the opening of the annual tourism season by several weeks. According to B.T.I.A.’s Second Vice President Stewart Krohn, it is not expected that visitors will be arriving in large numbers at the start of the season which should give government sufficient time to rethink and re-strategize […]
Written on September 23, 2020 | Posted in
Health,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.T.I.A. to G.O.B. – Let’s Start to Review Protocols Now
If you are travelling from Belize, the following is information that you need to factor in your plans. The Office of the Director of Health Services says that there is no requirement in terms of PCR or any other test for SARS-CoV2. In respect of those persons leaving for essential reasons, including students and persons […]
Written on September 22, 2020 | Posted in
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Health,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on If You Are Travelling from Belize, Here’s Instructions for PCR Testing
In less than two weeks, on October first, the Philip Goldson International Airport is set to reopen to international visitors. There are concerns about the readiness of resorts and hotels to accommodate tourists, while keeping their staff and guests safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Belize Hotel Association President Ted Tejada says that following a […]
Written on September 18, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.H.A. and its Membership Ready for the P.G.I.A. Reopening
Tejada says that tourists won’t be able to enter the country without proof of reservation at a gold standard hotel. Ted Tejada, President, Belize Hotel Association “As a matter of fact, seventy-two hours prior to arriving in the country of Belize, you must download the app and the app will only have the active […]
Written on September 18, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Tourists Won’t be Able to Enter Belize without Reservation at a Gold Standard Hotel
Will hotels mandatorily have to acquire gold standard certification or they won’t be able to open? That’s the information surfacing tonight. Reports are that a legal document has been drafted to tie the hands of hoteliers and resort owners to become certified. Earlier this year, the Belize Tourism Board through consultation with the Ministry of […]
Written on September 18, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Will Hotels Have to be Gold Standard Certified to Operate?
But what about the smaller properties, including bed and breakfasts that cannot afford the investment? Tejada says that the association is there to assist and has been advising its members on how to make the necessary changes economically. Ted Tejada, President, Belize Hotel Association “When we look at the situation, what is happening and […]
Written on September 18, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on What Happens to Smaller Properties?
News Five visited two hotels in the Belize District to understand the financial struggles that hoteliers are going through during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several hotels are making preparations for the reopening of the P.G.I.A. on October first. Black Orchid Hotel in Burrell Boom has shut down because it is simply too costly to remain open. […]
Written on September 18, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on The Struggles of Hotels during COVID-19 Pandemic
Minister Edmond Castro put on his other hat as Minister of Transport. He spoke on the issues of sanitization and crowding at bus terminals and on buses. Edmond Castro, Minister of Transport “We have passed the information that every bus operator must carry the disinfectant and sanitization mechanism for people to wash their hands; […]
Written on September 3, 2020 | Posted in
Health,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Minister of Transport Weighs In on COVID-19 and Public Buses
The other big news out of the PM press conference is in respect of international travel. A fixed date for the reopening of the Phillip Goldson International Airport has been set for October first. The resumption of operations at the P.G.I.A. will coincide with the beginning of the 2020 tourist season and will see the […]
Written on August 28, 2020 | Posted in
Featured,
Travel |
Comments Off on P.G.I.A. Set to Reopen on October 1st
As of November twenty-second, Delta Airlines will resume flights to Belize. According to PM Barrow, the use of the Abbott Rapid Test should simplify the process of verifying one’s health status upon arrival in the country. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “Delta, that had earlier asked for September third, even before we made a decision […]
Written on August 28, 2020 | Posted in
Featured,
Travel |
Comments Off on Abbott Rapid Tests to be Used at P.G.I.A.
With a deep drop in tourism arrivals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the local airline industry has been devastated. According to the latest figures from the Statistical Industry of Belize, the pandemic interrupted land, sea and air transportation registering a twenty-eight point eight percent decline when compared to the same period in 2019. For now, […]
Written on August 27, 2020 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Airline Industry Continues to Reel from Airport Closure
While the Philip Goldson International Airport remains closed to international tourists, it was bustling with activities today. Just after eleven, one hundred Belizeans came in on a repatriation flight. After they exited the P.G.I.A., they boarded buses that carted them off to quarantine centres; images suggest that there was no social distancing. During the press […]
Written on August 21, 2020 | Posted in
Health,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Testing Timeline Changes for Repatriates!
According to PM Barrow in the House today, he is fine with private flights landing at the P.G.I.A. as long as all protocols are met. The arrival of an airplane recently, however, is of particular interest since little is known about the passenger, save to say that he proceeded to San Pedro after touching down […]
Written on August 14, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Are Private Flights Sanctioned to Land in Belize?
The reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport was scheduled for this Saturday, but was delayed after cases of COVID-19 surged. A survey shows that the majority of members of the Belize Tourism and Industry Association were in support of the resumption of commercial flights to Belize because the tourism dollars are needed to revive […]
Written on August 11, 2020 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.T.I.A. Reacts to G.O.B.’s Decision Not to Open P.G.I.A.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced on Wednesday that the Philip Goldson International Airport will no longer reopen on August fifteenth. This is due to the alarming increase of COVID-19 cases. Today, a lockdown was announced for San Pedro and S.O.E. measures in the rest of the country. This is not good news for hoteliers who […]
Written on August 6, 2020 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Belize Hotel Association Reacts to G.O.B.’s Decision to Not Open the P.G.I.A. on August 15th
The long anticipated reopening of the airport will not happen as planned. After a very stern warning to the nation about not practicing quarantine guidelines, the Prime Minister said that the P.G.I.A. will not reopen on August fifteenth. According to the PM, the soft opening of the tourism will have to wait. Still, there is […]
Written on August 5, 2020 | Posted in
Featured,
People & Places,
Regional / International,
Travel |
Comments Off on Philip Goldson International Airport Will NOT Reopen on August 15th
During the lengthy press conference that concluded around five-thirty, Prime Minister Dean Barrow received an update from American Airlines regarding the government’s decision not to open the P.G.I.A. on August fifteenth. According to the Prime Minister, American Airlines says it will cancel this market longer term in the event the closure extends pass August eighteenth. […]
Written on August 5, 2020 | Posted in
Featured,
People & Places,
Regional / International,
Travel |
Comments Off on American Airlines Cuts Belize from Schedule
