We are all familiar with the ads by the Belize Tourist Board, which showcase the best Belize has to offer in an effort to lure tourists and Belizeans alike to explore our country. This time the Belize Tourism Industry Association, BTIA, has teamed up with BTB to publish another issue of the popular magazine Destination […]
The weather may have kept most of us indoors this week, but with the promise of sun over the weekend, a family trip may be just what the doctor ordered. As part of our efforts to help people see Belize first, tonight we’ll revisit an attraction centrally located on the Hummingbird Highway. But you better […]
The “slow” season for Belizean tourism has been anything but, as July airport arrivals show a twenty percent increase over last year. Ten thousand, nine hundred and thirty-eight tourists arrived at the PGIA in July compared to nine thousand, one hundred and thirteen in July of 1999. According to the Belize Tourism Board, it is […]
It’s that time of year when nearly every airplane that leaves Belize City is packed full. And this year is no exception…but there is one difference. Where traditionally the passengers were mostly Belizeans headed for summer holidays in Miami, New York, L.A. or Chicago, the majority now seems to be foreign tourists returning from happy […]
Tuesday’s protests on the Guatemalan side of our western border were not the only voices raised in anger over the new twenty-dollar departure tax at Melchor and Santa Elena. People involved in Belize’s tourism industry have long claimed that the tax unfairly discriminates against tourists. Jose Sanchez reports. Jose Sanchez, Reporting One of the criticisms […]
If you’ve traveled to the states or around the region recently you would have noticed that the departure tax at most foreign airports is far higher than that prevailing at home. No longer. Citing increased costs for improved infrastructure, the Belize Airports Authority today announced that the departure tax at the Philip Goldson International Airport, […]
As bad as the crime reports have been, the news from the tourism industry has been just the opposite. The latest positive development for Belize City tourism is the announcement that a new cruise line–the world’s largest–will begin regular service to Belize early next year. According to a BTB release, Florida based Carnival Cruise Line […]
Regular visitors to Chetumal will be happy to know that the Mexican Government, working with Belizean authorities, has began handing out border crossing cards. Enrique Hubbard, Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize, tells Five that the new card will mean a drastic reduction in paperwork and should promote a closer relationship between Mexico and Belize. Enrique Hubbard, […]
Residents of Copper Bank and Progresso Villages will now have it a whole lot easier when it comes to driving to their district capital of Corozal. That’s thanks to a recently inaugurated ferry service across the New River, which will reduce the trip from 48 miles to a mere 9. The ferry, converted from a […]
They originally suspended the service almost a year ago, but government pressure and requests from the Belize Tourism Board made them reactivate it in June. But even with alterations in the schedule to make it more attractive, in the end, Grupo TACA’s direct flight to Miami just wasn’t carrying enough passengers. This Friday TACA will […]
If you want to go to Merida, Cancun or any other Mexican city past Chetumal you will still need a tourist visa, but last week the Mexican Government implemented a pass system they hope will make traveling to Chetumal a little easier. The Mexican Embassy says Belizeans can now obtain a pass, which allows them […]
It was rumored for months and today it became official. After 60 years in the business Batty Brothers Bus Service has been sold to Novelo’s Bus line Limited. A statement from Batty’s says they believe Novelo’s is the most suitable successor to run the company which was started by Kenneth Batty Sr. His sons Kenneth […]
There was a bit of panic in the tourism community today concerning a circular issued by the Government of Guatemala. The announcement, distributed in the western Cayo district, seems to indicate that beginning February 15th, no tourist vehicles from Belize would be allowed to cross the border into Melchor de Mencos. If true that would […]
A year ago in January, 1999, the Belize Tourism Board launched an aggressive ad campaign to boost tourism. The colorful ads highlighted the entertaining and adventurous activities visitors can enjoy in Belize. The Clarke and Pope Agency in the United States designed the campaign and their slogan, “Catch The Adventure: Belize, Mother Nature’s Best Kept […]
Here at News Five, we love a good controversy, so when we heard that members of the Toledo Eco Tourism Association and other members of the P.G. tourism industry were getting on a bus and heading for the Belize Biltmore Plaza to stage a “protest” against the Belize Tourism Board we thought there would be […]
On a bright note for tourism, a production team will be visiting various points of interest in Belize this week in order to make several commercials that will be aired later this year in the United States. Belize Tourism Board Director Tracy Taegar says the television ads are the next phase of an aggressive marketing […]
Travel agents make their money from the commission they get for every ticket they sell. For the past twenty-five years, Belizean travel agencies have been getting a nine percent commission from the airlines that fly into Belize. But in December, American Airlines, Grupo TACA and Continental each wrote to the travel agents telling them that […]
In news from Cabinet, that body’s first meeting of the year has made a number of decisions. Among them is the establishment of a board of governors to assist the superintendent in the management of the prison system. Outside advice will also be sought on how best to make the environment behind the walls more […]
“Where will you be on New Year’s Eve?” seems to be the question everyone is already asking. But even as cities all over the world get ready to cash in on what promises to be the biggest party ever, the US State Department has issued a statement that might make some American tourists afraid to […]
You may be getting tired of hearing about the Y2K bug but the predictions over what might happen aren’t over. Today the US Embassy issued an advisory to Belizeans that non-immigrant visas will be not be issued on the third and fourth of January, 2000. Translation, if you don’t have a visa and you plan […]
Although Belize has no flights at midnight, some air travelers might be concerned about flying on the first of January just in case the Y2K bug works some mischief. But COCESNA, the air traffic control center for the region, which directs routes in the upper air space, says not to worry. The Honduras based agency […]
Today, American Airlines inaugurated a daily nonstop service between Dallas Forth Worth and Belize. According to Mike Gunn, the airline’s marketing senior vice president, Belize is gaining in popularity and having a flight to Belize will further strengthen D.F.W.’s position as an important international gateway. The hub already includes flights to thirteen other locations in […]
The Belize Tourism Industry Association held its bi-annual General Meeting today to discuss progress since the AGM in June. The morning session was for members only, but in the afternoon Minister of Tourism Mark Espat spoke about the Belize Tourism Board’s marketing plans for the coming year. He also dedicated a good portion of his […]
The Belize Tourism Board is reporting a hefty increase in tourist arrivals for the high season. B.T.B. figures from the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport indicate that arrivals are up thirty-five percent with two thousand more visitors arriving by air in Belize in November compared to the same time last year. Overall 1999 — minus […]
Traffic in Orange Walk Town, especially during the cane season, has long been a problem, but now residents can look forward to the construction of a bypass road to accommodate the cane trucks. The Caribbean Development Bank has approved a loan for nineteen million Belize dollars for the work. The two-lane bypass will go around […]
