Director of Tourism at the B.T.B., Karen Bevans, says that the collaborative consumption and sharing that Airbnb enable are the future of the travel industry. It is, however, being met with mixed reception from local stakeholders in the hotel sector. Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism, B.T.B. “This is the way the industry is going. […]
Drowning is a common concern in the Easter Holidays as Belizeans travel to sources of water for relaxation. The family of nine-year-old Samaria Azencio Murcia waits by her bedside at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital tonight as she continues to fight for her life. Following a near-drowning at the Miami Beach in Corozal on Good […]
In an interview with News Five, B.T.B.’s Karen Pike addressed the persistent reports of persons working inside the Tourist Village warning away cruise ship tourists from buying from vendors outside the village or even walking on Belize City streets due to fear of crime. Now while Belize City does have its crime hotspots, the old-world […]
The pristine sandy beaches of San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and the inland destinations, such as the Cayo District, are known to attract visitors from all over the world. But there are other locations lesser known, that have the attributes to beckon those looking for niche tourism. This week, TIDE, invited the media for a […]
As reported earlier this week, tourism arrivals by overnight and cruise remain healthy, with March setting a record for overnight tourism arrivals at close to forty-five thousand. But where are they coming from; where are they going to; and are they coming back, or coming here for the first time? These are some of the […]
The exodus of Belizeans to destinations across Belize – and some outside – has already begun. Unlike other holidays such as Christmas, Belizeans mostly stay close to home for Easter, pulled by the tradition of Good Friday at church and Holy Saturday’s Cross Country Cycling Classic. But after that is done, it’s off to the […]
While San Pedro and Placencia are wildly popular destinations for locals during this time, thousands of Belizeans also go across the border to neighboring Mexico. Destinations such as Cancun, Merida and Tulum, even Chetumal are on the list of holiday places to visit this weekend. It may seem like just a hop over the border, […]
The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, TIDE, has been actively involved with residents in two coastal communities in northeastern Toledo District. The villages of Monkey River and Punta Negra are far-flung, the latter being only accessible by water. Their respective coordinates on the map of Belize situate them ideally between the shoreline and the […]
The Belize Tourism Board is reporting another record for tourist arrivals to the Jewel. In releasing the statistics for the first quarter of 2017, there have been two point seven percent more overnight tourist arrivals than the same period in 2016. This is attributed to a forty-four thousand, four hundred-plus visitors touching down in March, […]
There’s been a lot tonight on the tourism industry…Saturday’s Southwest Airlines’ touchdown at the Philip Goldson International Airport will not be the last arrival of an airline in Belize for the year. Apart from Southwest’s own introduction of a Fort Lauderdale to Belize flight in June, two other well-known airlines will launch new flights, one […]
On Saturday afternoon, Southwest Airlines gave Belizean tourism officials a “Rocky Mountain High.” But it was not the kind induced by marijuana, though that is also legal in the state of Colorado. The airline, already connected to Belize from Houston, Texas, inaugurated its first direct flight to Belize’s Philip Goldson International Airport from Denver, Colorado, […]
A resident of Pink’s Alley has been arraigned for the New Year’s Day murder of Collin Sutherland. Twenty-nine-year-old Daniel Caine is charged for the callous, January first execution of the Conch Shell Bay resident and is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after appearing in court today. It has been seventeen days since the […]
In other news….five persons were killed and fifteen others wounded after a shooter opened fire at a nightclub in Playa del Carmen resort, Mexico. The coastal resort town, which is a popular location visited by many including Belizeans, was the venue for the annual ten-day Bartenders, Promoters, Musicians (BPM) Festival that sees music lovers and […]
The B.T.B. says that tourism arrivals for 2016 went way up – the highest it has been in twenty years. In release issued today, the B.T.B. says that 2016 has proven to be the most successful year for the overnight sector with almost forty five thousand more visitors when compared to 2015. These numbers translate […]
Starting June fourth, there will be a daily direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Belize at rock-bottom prices. That’s the latest coming out of the Belize Tourism Board, the marketing arm of the country, following ongoing dialogue with Southwest Airlines. According to B.T.B., the flight will have multiple connections to and from Fort Lauderdale […]
The B.T.B. wants your vote to make the Great Blue Hole the ‘Best Caribbean Dive Site.’ Belize was nominated in the ‘Ten Best Readers’ Choice Award’ contest after it was selected by a panel of diving and Caribbean travel experts. The voting online is now open and ends at midnight on Monday, January thirtieth. Belize […]
It has been over a month since Belizean commuters have seen bus fares go up in most of the country. They have complained that there is no justification, since fuel prices are trending down and the service provided by operators has not discernibly improved. However, Minister of Transport Edmond Castro told the House of Representatives […]
Naia Resort and Spa – that’s the newest and certainly very plush resort in the peninsula where mass tourism is getting a significant boast with the opening up of NCL’s Harvest Caye. Naia opened to the public in November; it boasts a luxurious spa, a top-notch yoga room, restaurant and other amenities through which Managing […]
Norwegian Cruise Line has come under fire from local tour operators for diverting newer cruise ships south to their brand-new exclusive property at Harvest Caye in the Stann Creek District. Operators, particularly those from the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize (FECTAB), have complained of up to seventy-five percent in lost earnings from bookings […]
On Thursday, you heard tour operators and FECTAB express their discontent with the loss of business, following the launch of the multimillion-dollar Norwegian Cruise Line Port on Harvest Caye. According to the tour operators, the cruise line backtracked on traditional calls at the Fort Street Tourism Village in Belize City, cutting their business drastically. Today, […]
Bus fares for runs in the south, primarily from Dangriga to Independence, have been the most expensive. The recent readjustment has seen a significant decrease in the cost per ticket, much to the chagrin of bus operators. Edmond Castro, Minister of Transport “When you look at from Dangriga to Punta Gorda then it goes […]
It seems only Minister of Transport Edmond Castro didn’t get the memo or heard on the news that there was a shut out of local media from the grand Harvest Caye opening last week. Local media were reporting on Harvest Caye from the start and all through the controversies, including the steps it took to […]
Commuters, as well as some bus owners across the country are equally incensed, following a recent adjustment in bus fares which has since come into effect. In September, bus operators from the west proceeded to arbitrarily adjust the cost of tickets to and from certain destinations along their routes. The general complaint among operators was […]
The exclusive, privately-owned tourist destination on Harvest Caye welcomed its first cruise arrival on Thursday with a grand inauguration of its multimillion dollar investment. The Norwegian Dawn called to port early in the morning and a little over two thousand visitors disembarked the vessel unto the newly remodeled island. While the media was not invited […]
Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia was on hand for the ribbon cutting and represented the Government of Belize. According to Heredia, the project falls within the sustainable tourism master plan. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism “On behalf of the government and people of Belize, I would like to welcome you all to this […]
