AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Where are all the tourists?

In planning my last and my up coming vacation I was not finding any "deals" in Belize. They would not even try to work with you. On my last visit to AC I needed a room for 4 nights in town, but the place I wanted to stay had a 5 night min. and said I would still have to pay for the 5th night. The only good deal I find in AC was a 2 for 1 at El Pescador. I recently booked in Mexico And got the "Swine Flu Discount" which was the low season rate in high season.

For the last few months of 2009 hotels were very willing to work with you and give discounts. And there were many discounts available during January 2010. For Feb - April, hotels are hoping business picks up for their last shot at a high season. So there are few deals right now, but there are some out there (like VH is running their summer 7th night free even during the winter, and several of the mainland hotels are running last minute specials.) Plus many hotels lowered their rates from 2008 rates (the last really good season) and still have those lower rates in effect. After April you can expect lower rates and deals to get more pronounced, as hotels vie for business. Still doesn't really address the high cost of everything once you get there.... but it helps get people there. And I'll bet there will be another airfare sale in a few months to spur some summer travel. The airlines are hurting as much as the rest of the industry with the recession/depression which is not nearly over (IMO). According to the latest industry journal, ticketing was down 17% for 2009, lowest it's been since 2004.

Boy, has this thread taken off. Kind of like the old days when none of us could get along talking politics. My point stands. If what you're looking for is cheap, go to Cancun, go to Orlando, go to Nassau. If you want something authentic, come to San Pedro, or Placencia, or the countless other small villages scattered throughout the Caribbean that don't subsidize flights and hotel rooms.

My statement about suburban idiots refers to people who would rather dine at Olive Garden instead of a real Italian place....would rather travel to Cancun and drink Starbucks and eat McDonalds because it's cheap. They find their way down here every now and then and always find something that would make San Pedro a better place. As the saying goes....don't try to change Belize, let Belize change you. Anyway, no disrespect meant. Cheers. I'm going fishin'.

What? Is there an olive Garden in AC now???!!!!

Yes, I read that 2009 tracks as the "worst year" yet in the airline industry...a sobering thought! And no matter how people try and deny it, the world (with the US at the forefront) is in a major economic recession. A recession which I believe is yet to get worse before we really witness any improvement! Airlines are cutting routes across Europe, and airlines in the US are cutting internal fares in a bid to secure customers.

A family of 5 arrived on Friday at our complex, but walked past Ramon's (which they stated was empty!) and enquired about getting a reduced deal. Ramon's had more amenities to offer, and with a good deal they claim they would have moved there! Apparently, Ramon's refused to discount their standard rate!!

I do hear what is being said here about the time of year, but with the recession as bad as it is, I honestly feel that without some serious discounts to airfares into Belize and hotel accommodation.....2010 will be no better a year for tourism in AC!

Which is just such a shame.....I would have liked to have seen this place buzzing as I am sure it must have done in years past!! I am keeping my fingers (& toes) crossed for AC, that March does in fact bring a good spike in visitors!

Mid February through March are busy every year and my calender is loaded with deposits left by clients for their reservations.
I don't look at statistics, I can look at the Excel sheet and calender.
Rise and falls of bookings follow a pattern...you could call them natural highs and lows! After the holidays the island always has a low and picks up again after the first week of Feb. getting more intense as we approach the last of the month and March is always booming with the various spring breaks all the way into April.
The whining of doom and whats going to happen to the island follows the same pattern. Everyone will cheer about Feb. 7th and continue to be content until the latter part of April after we've enjoyed the Easter business when whining will begin again until the European vacationers arrive June 1st.
August winds down business wise and up whine wise, after that the end of the world as we know it starts in Sept and last till Thanksgiving. ...every friggin year.
OOPS! my attitude

I am noticing the same thing! So my question is..... if we know the season highs and lows, why not plan for it? Even squirrels save their nuts for winters (and they are rodents!)

We dread going into town in the fall because it is a constant need for $$$s...

I do it every year myself, i know Sept and Oct are coming, against human nature?

My local friends have been telling me for years, that January is a very slow month. I've always been surprised by that. But I suppose, my surprise is because I don't have children. If I thought about it that way, maybe I'd consider that the Xmas holidays had just passed, the family had spent a lot of money, the kids were just back in school after a few weeks off, etc.

Perhaps Elbert is lucky, but I know several other dive operators who had a very slow "high season" when they made little money. They are praying that the next few months will redress that, or they see lean times ahead.