Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Tren Maya could reshape tourism in Belize

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The Tren Maya project, a major railway initiative in the southeastern region of Mexico, will possibly expand into Belize. Belize’s Prime Minister, John Briceño, has officially proposed extending the train across the Hondo River to promote regional integration and boost tourism. The expansion would occur in two stages: first, a seven-kilometer track would be constructed from Quintana Roo to Belize; second, a route would connect Belize to Guatemala, passing through Tikal National Park.
In an interview on January 12th, Briceño explained, “Last year, I sent a letter to the President. When I met her in October in Mexico City, we talked about the Maya Tren, and she continues to support this plan. She assured me that she wants to continue the work that President Lopez Obrador started.” He continued, “The letter was to follow up on the two proposals we have. The first is that we can take the train to the entrance of Belize from Chetumal, and the second is that we can go from here in Belize to Guatemala City. The studies still need to be done, but I am very hopeful that this can be consolidated”.
In an interview on January 28th with the new President of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA), Efren Perez, he discussed the Tren Maya project. “I saw the news post yesterday in which the Mexican President referred to the train’s entrance into Belize. I know the government is working to facilitate that train’s entry. From the perspective of BTIA, we are preparing our members for the opportunities that will arise from this project. I am scheduled to meet soon with the official overseeing the Tren Maya in Chetumal for promotional purposes. We will discuss how our stakeholders can take advantage of the existing infrastructure related to the Tren Maya, including bringing in tourists flying into Tulum who would travel to Chetumal using the train”.
This initiative seeks to strengthen ties between Mexico and Belize while enhancing tourism and trade opportunities in Central America. “We need to identify how our members can indirectly benefit from this initiative. We already have a boat service running from Chetumal to San Pedro, which presents many opportunities. Furthermore, there are flights from Corozal to San Pedro. We aim to build partnerships with what has been established through Tren Maya for the benefit of our members,” said Perez.
The Tren Maya proposal can transform Belize’s tourism industry by simplifying travel and enhancing trade opportunities. The Tren Maya is a 1,554 km-long inter-city railway connecting the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. Construction began in June 2020, and the section from Campeche to CancĂşn commenced operations on December 15, 2023. The remaining sections of the railway opened in phases, with the final segment from Escárcega to Chetumal completed recently.

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