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The Belize Tourism Board is re-strategizing the way forward for the industry. Changes include rerouting funding to bolster domestic Belizean tourism and improving basic infrastructure at major and emerging tourist destinations across the country. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “Product development is also an issue. For example, we were in Hopkins […]
Written on March 2, 2021 | Posted in
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The Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations is also looking at the competitiveness of Belize as a long stay destination within the region. Whether international visitors are coming to Belize by sea, land or air, Minister Mahler wants them to consider staying a bit longer in the Jewel, perhaps even make Belize their work-from-home second […]
Written on March 2, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fostering Longer Stays by International Visitors
Continuous training for tourism stakeholders is also part of the strategic plan for the tourism industry. Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler explains its importance. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “In the past when I was at the Board, people use to say in the high season, they are too busy to mess […]
Written on March 2, 2021 | Posted in
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During a media mixer this weekend, Prime Minister John Briceño, Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler and C.E.O. Nicole Usher-Solano, as well as senior staff from the Belize Tourism Board were all in attendance. But visibly absent were Marketing Director Misty Michael and Tourism Director Karen Bevans. As the new leadership embarks on its strategy to return […]
Written on March 1, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Is Director Karen Bevans Involved in New Tourism Strategy?
Tourism has been the hardest hit industry when it comes to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of dollars have been lost from the industry that once contributed up to forty percent of G.D.P.; some properties have had to close their doors for months on end or are on the verge of bankruptcy, while […]
Written on March 1, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Reigniting the Tourism Industry
Stakeholders in the tourism industry have invested their life savings into their respective businesses and a number have gone belly up. Minister Mahler speaks of help from the Inter-American Development Bank to facilitate a small grants programme. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “We have a small grants programme that we want […]
Written on March 1, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Making Small Grants Available for Tourism Stakeholders
But what about cruise tourism? Up until the COVID-19 pandemic, over a million cruise ship passengers would come to the Jewel annually. That came to a screeching halt last year, but tonight there is both good and bad news. The good news is that cruise tourism will restart in late May early June; the bad […]
Written on March 1, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Cruise Tourism to Restart mid-2021
Right now is traditionally the peak of the tourism season in Belize, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the industry. As the country attempts to recover, Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler says they are anticipating that cruise tourism will restart in late May of this year. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism “The industry is […]
Written on February 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Cruise Tourism to Restart in Late May/Early June
Tourism has been one of the hardest hit sectors of Belize’s economy during the pandemic. Hoteliers, tour guides, water taxi companies and many others have had to get creative with their marketing, hoping to lure those travelers who do still want to come with assurances of enhanced safety and sanitation protocols. The Belize Tourist Board […]
Written on February 19, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on U.S. Advises Americans to Reconsider Travel to Belize
The tourism industry in Belize continues to take a hit from the economic fallout caused by COVID-19. Usually, this time of year, tourists arrive by the thousands; these days, they trickle in smaller numbers. Some hotels are still struggling to attract tourists, while others are enduring notwithstanding the tough times. On our visit to Blancaneux […]
Written on February 10, 2021 | Posted in
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Regional / International,
Travel |
Comments Off on Luxury Properties Working Hard to Get Tourists to Belize!
Starting February first, the northern border with Mexico will, after almost ten months, reopen; but, only to allow for Mexican patrons to enter the Corozal Free Zone. Over a hundred thousand dollars has been invested in ensuring that there are temperature checks and screening done at the entrance of the zone in addition to other […]
Written on January 29, 2021 | Posted in
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Social Issues,
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Comments Off on When Will Land Borders Reopen?
One of the hardest-hit communities in the COVID-19 pandemic is San Pedro Town. The once-bustling tourist hotspot was the first part of the country to go into a lockdown in March of 2020. Then the borders were closed for the better part of the year. Even after reopening at the end of last year, businesses […]
Written on January 28, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Almost a Year Later, Economic Activity on Ambergris Caye Sluggish
The American tourist who the police arrested for mask violation in Caye Caulker opened up about her ordeal. While there were concerns that her experience could cause a black eye for Belize, as the country scrambles to attract tourists during the pandemic, the woman says that she promises to revisit Belize despite the shock of […]
Written on January 26, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Tourist Arrested for Mask Violation Still Wants to Return to Visit Belize!
On Thursday, the new U.S. President Joe Biden signed a flurry of executive orders within his first twenty-four hours in office. But one of those executive orders can have grave consequences for tourism-based economies like Belize. The Biden Administration now requires a recent negative COVID-19 test result before departure and quarantine on arrival as per […]
Written on January 22, 2021 | Posted in
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Foreign Affairs,
Health,
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Regional / International,
Travel |
Comments Off on Prez Biden’s Executive Order on International Travel Affects Tourism Countries
On Tuesday, the President of the Belize Hotel Association spoke off the underwhelming tourist arrivals following the airport’s reopening. While stakeholders are hoping that the cold weather in the North will incentive more travel to Belize, What about cruise tourism? Over the years, cruise travel has grown to be a significant player in the country’s […]
Written on January 21, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on What About Cruise Tourism?
All eyes are on the North, not just for the major political changes but also for temperature drops. Tourism players are eyeing travel trends of Americans as the frigid winter weather sets in. Belize is one of many countries struggling to revive its tourism industry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening of the sector in […]
Written on January 20, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Tourism Industry Still Trying to Recover
And for Belizeans who are interested in travel to the United States. The U.S. Embassy issued its travel advisory detailing the new C.D.C.’s requirements for persons wanting to enter the United States. As of January twenty-sixth, all airline passengers traveling to the U.S., ages two years and older, will be asked to provide a negative […]
Written on January 20, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Belize Travel Advisory: Availability of COVID-19 Testing for Travelers to the United States
The U.S. Government will now require travelers to present negative COVID test results when entering their country. This is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, which has ordered that all travelers flying to the U.S. from abroad will have to show proof of negative COVID-19 tests before boarding their flight starting […]
Written on January 14, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on B.H.A. Reacts to C.D.C.’s New Travel Guidelines
Minister Mahler also shared the key performance indicators for 2020. Since the reopening of the international airport in October 2020, overnight tourist arrivals were at three thousand one hundred and seventy-nine for that month, down by eighty-seven point five percent compared to 2019. That percentage carried through to November where four thousand eight hundred and […]
Written on January 13, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Tourism Arrivals Down by More than 70% for 2020
The most recent COVID-19 prevention measures outlined in Statutory Instrument 175 included a fifty percent capacity on all public transportation. Bus owners immediately voiced their discontent with the decision as it was simply not feasible for them to maintain their runs. The compromise made then was to allow for seventy-five percent capacity per bus. But […]
Written on January 8, 2021 | Posted in
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Travel |
Comments Off on Bus Operators Lobbying for 100% Capacity
Shaw says that in this first meeting with the new minister, they discussed a range of issues that are central to the survival of the bus transport industry. Among those issues were road permits, bus schedules, and parking, but at the heart of the conversation was the issue of subsidies for bus operators. You’ll recall […]
Written on January 8, 2021 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on B.B.A. Says Bus Operators Need G.O.B.’s Subsidy
Traveling on public transportation has for years been a hellish experience and with cases of COVID-19 increasing daily, commuting on buses and dollar vans has become an even more frightening experience. Buses continue to operate at full capacity and some are even overloading buses. This will change according to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams. Operators […]
Written on December 23, 2020 | Posted in
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People & Places,
Social Issues,
Travel |
Comments Off on Operators of Public Transportation Can Only Operated at 75% Capacity
Statutory Instrument one-seventy-five of 2020 came into effect on December twentieth, with restrictions for not only public, but also private transportation, which it says is for the purposes of preventing, controlling, containing and suppressing the spread of the infectious COVID-19. It speaks to the mandatory wearing of face masks during travel in public or private […]
Written on December 21, 2020 | Posted in
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Health,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Water Taxi Concerned About New S.I.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic in Belize, runs to and from San Pedro were stopped temporarily. When the lockdown was lifted for Ambergris Caye, traffic to the island resumed, but it is still not where it used to be. Runs have been cut by half and the company is working on a skeleton staff. While the […]
Written on December 21, 2020 | Posted in
Economy,
Health,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on Restrictions Threaten Jobs of Water Taxi Employees
New guidelines for passenger arrivals at the Philip Goldson International Airport are being developed by a committee led by Minister of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, Andre Perez. The need for revised standard operating procedures for entry at the P.G.I.A. is in anticipation of an increase in arrivals during the first few months of […]
Written on December 17, 2020 | Posted in
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on New Guidelines to be Implemented at the P.G.I.A.
