Belize Tourism Board Forecasts Record-Breaking Year for Overnight Visitor Arrivals

The Belize Tourism Board says that 2024 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for overnight visitor arrivals. The BTB recently released the overnight visitor arrivals for the first two months of the year, which show arrivals more than ten percent above pre-pandemic numbers. Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise and Capacity Development with the BTB, says that March is already showing the possibility of breaking another record.

Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise and Capacity Development, BTB: “2024 has started off with a tremendous bang. 2019 was our previous high point in terms of overnight tourist arrivals. We had 503,000 or so overnight visitors in 2019 and we expect to eclipse that number in 2024. 2024 will mark a monumental year for the Belize Tourism industry and so far in January and February the numbers are speaking to that quite clearly. So in January we had 57,600 passengers overnight visitors to Belize which was a new high point for January all time for January and in February we eclipsed that number and 59,067 overnight visitors called on Belize. This is an all time high that 59,000 for any given month in Belize’s tourism industry and we expect that there is more good news coming in March because March will even eclipse that number. So January and February so far we’re up 16% versus 2019 so all those who participate in the tourism industry in Belize will have a record breaking year in 2024.”

Enriquez said the BTB and ministry have been working in various areas to promote Belize internationally. One such means is the Aviation Development Committee led by Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler. The committee holds meetings with various airlines to bring new flights into Belize. Enriquez said that marketing also plays a big role in the industry’s recovery.

Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise and Capacity Development, BTB: “Saturdays are the busiest day at the international airport, the PGIA or the bulk of our overnight visitors come from the United States in January and February so far that is 68% of those total arrivals come from the United States and this Saturday was unlike any other. The airport was filled to capacity. There was shoulder to shoulder within the PGIA this Saturday and on any given Saturday, any other day as a matter of fact you’ll see but on especially on Saturdays there will be as much as twenty two flights on the ground. You go to San Pedro, you go to Placencia, you go to Hopkins any of the main destinations people are booked out, car rental companies are booked out, golf carts are booked out, tour operators are turning back business. The capacity is becoming an issue which is a good thing and a bad thing but the point is we’re getting the visitors calling on Belize and arriving in Belize and we also have a lot of marketing that goes in the background. Those of you who follow our Facebook and other social media pages will see how active we are engaging the travel trade industry, talking to tour operators and people who book flights and trips to Belize. So we’re very active with those. Right now we’re in Germany as a matter of fact as we speak so we’re very active in that in terms of recruiting people and building the awareness of Belize as a destination and those on the ground you know the hoteliers, the tour guides the tour operators they put the cherry on the cake offering that authentic genuine Belizean experience. People walk away and they go tell their friends. We often find that still to date one of the biggest difference makers is people going back and saying it’s word of mouth they go and they tell their friend and then their friend end up booking a visit to Belize. So hats off all around and 2024 will be a stellar year, an all time record breaking year for the Belize Tourism Industry.”SM ARRIVALS 2 

Representatives from the BTB are currently in Germany for a travel trade show, as part of the ongoing marketing efforts.