The latest quarterly tourism statistics released for both overnight arrivals and cruise passengers by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) suggest that these industries are moving on the right track to recovery. According to the report, overnight tourist arrivals in March totaled over 41,000. While in the cruise ship sector, 48 ships made calls to Belize, bringing over 93,000 passengers.
The two ports include the Front Street Tourism Village in Belize City and Harvest Caye in southern Belize. In 2021 there was no activity in the cruise ship industry; however, the amount for this year surpasses that of 2020. In that year, the quarterly report indicated that a little over 68,000 passengers had visited the country by March. The current numbers in this year’s quarterly report are yet to match those of 2019 when the number of passengers exceeded 143,000. The BTB believes that such numbers will continue increasing and reflect or exceed the pre-pandemic period despite the deficit.
Overnight visitors
The overnight tourist arrivals to Belize continue to rise as the country has lifted the COVID-19 regulations. Traditionally, arrivals gradually increase in January, with March considered the peak of the high season. Although the steady growth is not the same as pre- COVID-19 times, BTB remains optimistic.
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, is one of the destinations in the country that has seen an increase in tourism. During peak times on weekends, visitors opting to reach the island via air touched down in San Pedro as late as 10PM. Usually, flights to the island resign by 6PM, but with the increase in travelers to Belize and additional flights and new airlines, the arrivals statistics continue to inch close to pre-pandemic numbers.
The BTB said it remains committed to working in partnership with its local and international industry stakeholders. They have been aggressively promoting Belize in international trade shows in an ongoing effort to achieve full recovery of the industry.
