In tourism news, 2024 has only just begun but could it be the year that the PUP Tourism czars finally slay the ghost of UDP Administrations past?
You won't hear it in the official speeches or press releases, but for all the hype that accompanies tourism announcements - the best tourism year on record ever for Belize is 2019 with just over half a million arrivals.
That's been a big motivation for Anthony Mahler and his team. But even after the COVID comeback of 2023, they still weren't quite there.
Well, the news tonight is that 2024 may finally be THE year. Already the figures for January 2024 have surpassed those for January 2019 by more than 7,000. And if things continue along this path, Minister Anthony Mahler says they're on track to beat the record.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
"We had an exciting January so the entire country is seeing a boom, January we saw probably a 13% increase over 2019 so somewhere around 57,000-58,000 people came. We still have to do some sanitization and get to the final number, but the same thing looks for February and the same thing looks for March, talking to people in the private sector."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you believe this will be the year that you finally break that record in 2019?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
"I almost believe that, only if we have something disastrous happening during the hurricane season or something like that, that would hold us back, but we are on track to have a record breaking year."
Courtney Menzies:
"What would you contribute to the increase in tourism arrivals in the past two months?"
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
"Our tenacity in terms of marketing and promotion and our tenacity in building new air routes into Belize. We have probably about a 35% increase in capacity in air arrivals, we are also working on new air opportunities through the border and through, I think you were in San Pedro on Saturday when we inaugurated that vessel to Chetumal, all of these things aid in the accessibility of this nation blessed with wealth untold and so we will continue to do our part at the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations but we would not be able to do it without a true partnership with the private sector, all the hotels, the tour operators, restaurant, gift shops, all of those people who get up every morning and grind day in and day out to inject almost 50% of the economy into growing Belize."
We'll let you know what February's numbers look like as soon as they are finalized.
