Travelers were piled up at the Philip Goldson International airport on Saturday morning; no flights were coming in or going out. The early flights of Delta and Avianca couldn’t land because air traffic controllers did not show up for work all day. The Delta flight was diverted to Honduras and Avianca was delayed. Later, United […]
In the wake of that unprecedented situation at the Phillip Goldson International Airport, reports circulated that the air traffic controllers who called in sick on Saturday were refused entry to their worksite on Sunday. It is alleged that they were told to instead report to a meeting at one-thirty today, and that’s where Mike Rudon […]
At around five-thirty this evening, air traffic controllers and Public Service Union reps finally emerged from their meeting with Civil Aviation officials. As we’ve showed you, those officials have claimed complete ignorance of any grievances which could have caused any so-called sickout. We say so-called because P.S.U. rep., Ray Davis, says there was none. As […]
According to Davis, there will be a move by management to try to address critical issues including human resource shortage and salary concerns. This evening, Director of Civil Aviation, Lindsay Garbutt, told News Five that the meeting between the parties was frank and cordial, and on Tuesday, all air traffic control activities will return to […]
The controversy may have died down, but Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ship port on Harvest Caye in southern Belize is well underway. According to Director of Cruise and Regional Operations, Valdemar Andrade, the multimillion dollar docking facility should be ready for the start of the high season in October 2015. Government gave the green light […]
Belize has been gaining recognition worldwide as a top tourist destination. Well tonight, there is one more to add as the leading tour operator for the Caribbean hails from Belize. Carnival Cruise Lines has selected H2O-Tierra Ltd, owned by Tom and Ivette Wilson as the top tour operator in the countries where the cruise lines […]
A release from the Belize Tourism Board says that American Airlines will be adding additional flights to and from Belize. Starting later this year on June six, travelers will be able to enjoy direct flights between Belize and Los Angeles on Saturdays and Sundays. And from new flights to awards for the tourism industry. To […]
Earlier this week we told you about Guatemalan labourers lined up at the Western border to come into Belize to work. We understood then that they came in on one day passes, but were to work at Green Tropics in Western Belize for one year. On Thursday we asked Minister of Immigration and Labour Godwin […]
Tourists and Belizean Americans wanting to visit the Jewel from Chicago, Illinois can say goodbye to connecting flights when traveling to Belize. That’s because once a week, at least for now, United Airlines will provide a direct flight from O’Hare International Airport to the P.G.I.A. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting Chicago […]
Earlier this month, Tropic Air lost an aircraft during a crash landing at the Municipal Airstrip. The single engine Cessna caravan, according to company president John Greif the Third, slid off the runway while landing. The inbound flight from San Pedro to Belize City was carrying several passengers, including a shooting victim, when the plane […]
Earlier this week there was grim news from Yahoo Travel that Belize is among the countries with the worst ports of call. Well, tonight there is positive information for the tourism industry as it relates to air travel. Southwest Airlines today announced that they have filed applications to begin service to six new destinations, including […]
Firebrand activist organization COLA has managed to find its way into many different causes which affect the quality of life of roots Belizeans all over the country. And they’re back in it again on behalf of tourism stakeholders. Belize has made it onto a list, and its not a good one. According to highly rated […]
You’ll note that Brackett disagrees with the article’s critical tone where Belize City is concerned. And there, indeed, he is joined by the B.T.B.’s Director of the Cruise and Regional Initiative Valdemar Andrade. Andrade reiterates that feedback has been consistently positive from those who go on tours and sample the product and country of Belize. […]
The annual general meeting of the Belize Tourism Industry Association took place this morning at the Radisson Hotel in Belize City. While the tourism industry has faced its own share of challenges it has grown to become the second largest in Belize and today it is in robust form. In fact, it is creating employment […]
The B.T.I.A. also welcomed a new president during today’s AGM. Osmany Salas has been chosen to succeed Herbert Haylock as head of the private sector tourism organization. The incoming president says that the work of B.T.I.A. continues by strengthening specific areas of the organization, including its relationship with the Belize Tourism Board. Osmany Salas, […]
A James Bus en route to Punta Gorda Town on Thursday night was held up by a trio of armed gunmen who boarded the vehicle near San Isidro Village as passengers. According to thirty-one-year-old Joe Romero, the conductor on duty at the time of the incident, the masked men stopped the bus and entered. One […]
For a second consecutive day, cruise ships calling to port on Belize have cancelled their visits due to inclement weather. The sea state since Wednesday morning remains choppy, as we are experiencing heavy northerlies. This morning, tour operators at Fort Street Tourism Village had already prepared for the day ahead when they were notified that […]
From a dollars and sense perspective, the two-day loss has amounted to approximately one point eight million Belize dollars in revenue, notwithstanding the head tax that would have been collected by the Belize Tourism Board. Director of Cruise and Regional Operations at B.T.B., Valdemar Andrade, gave an update on the cancellations. Valdemar Andrade, Director […]
Today marks the beginning of the high season for the tourism industry, which coincides with the U.S. Thanksgiving Day. But the season got off to a choppy start because two ships cancelled calls on Belize on the first four-ship day of the season. It is estimated that several thousand visitors did not disembark the vessels, […]
B.T.B. has gone on record to make clear its support for a cruise port of any kind to be built in Belize. Andrade told us that today’s incident underscores that need. While he would not be drawn to expressing support for specific projects such as Stake Bank, he echoed the sentiments of stakeholders that Belize’s […]
There has been enough bad news in this newscast but there is something positive to report on tonight. The World Beauty Fitness and Fashion Competition was held at the Hyatt Miami convention Sunday on Saturday. It is a major event for amateur fitness models and bikini divas but young Cricel Castillo, who the B.B.B.F.F. shunned […]
There is good news coming out of Panama where Belize’s national U-sixteen male basketball team has won its first game. On Wednesday night, the team faced off against Costa Rica in group B of the COCABA U-sixteen Basketball Championships and beat Costa Rica with a score of seventy-two to fifty-nine. The team left for Panama […]
A new measure put in place by local authorities in the wake of an Ebola scare a week ago forced the cancellation of Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas from calling on Belize on Wednesday. The new protocol, which includes a boarding party comprised of several government officials traveling out to the anchored vessel, caused […]
According to Andrade, the various cruise lines are now following a similar protocol as that being followed by Belize. Valdemar Andrade, Director of Cruise, B.T.B. “It comes in the tens of thousands of dollars when they have to do that. So we decided then what we would do is only board the public health […]
Following the Ebola scare last week, several measures were put in place before passengers of cruise ships are disembarked to come on land. The new protocols such as screening of passports are causing huge delays for cruise ships passengers who spend an average of eight hours in Belize. On some days, up to four ships […]
