AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Why Belize Suffers in the Tourism Business

Chris it seems the problem has no solution and it's certainly beyond BTB BTIA etc and even GOB. Airline fees are high. We have a tiny population that generates little Intl traffic for family vists or business. We have less than 500 Hotels so it's a tiny Tourism market, with a maximum of only eight incoming International flights a day. Eight. I bet all our perceived competition get that in two hours. With low volume travel come higher prices, or no discounts.

Let's get back to branding Belize for what it is, a small eco destination that is exclusively different - from the Reef to the rainforest steeped in history and all visitable in the same day. Exclusive costs more, get the GOB on board with policies that keep us in this bracket and attract people willing to spend a little more for a holiday with lot more. Leave mass tourism to the rest as we can't do justice to that and focus on what we can control.

i organized a Familiarization Trip for the Canadian Institute of Travel Counselors. - Travel Agents. Nothing but travel agents. The very people that will help sell us to clients, direct link to revenue.

Great trip, it would have cost them almost nothing once they were here.

We had dozens apply to come.

only THREE (3) are coming.

These are travel agents remember...and only THREE are coming. The rest backed out due to one and only one thing: AIR FARE

If travel agents cant manage to find a reasonable price to get here, and when they are here were only spending a tiny fraction of what a traditional tourist would pay, and we could only get THREE, how can we expect to grow tourism?

Spoke to BTB..."we know" is the response. I'm not sure what needs done here...but something does.

Phil I hear what you are saying, but branding or re-branding is not the answer. The people who ever they are still have to fly in, and will not if the cost is too high.
Like it or not (I don't) the BTB and BTIA are charged with the responsibility to address the problem not (with due respect)to skirt around it by re branding, or bringing in South American tourists, or other groups.
If their response to high airline prices is"we know" then the next question should be "what are you doing about it?"
read again what Lara (great name btw) says above. She sees the problem head on.
Of course this is a small destination. but most hotels and resorts are empty. Thats WHY its a small destination!
I do not support the "Cancun" type of destination, and i agree that we should do what we are best at-attracting eco tourists. but between AC with its more conventional holiday offerings, and the more specialised eco resorts on the mainland we should be able to offer sufficient beds to make Belize a viable destination in terms of ticket prices.

Roatan has only 2 US carriers landing there. Continental on Fri Sat Sun and Delta on Sat yet the price can be lower than to BZE. AA and USAir do not go to RTB.
A few years ago in Grenada the hotel/condo rentals etc had to guarantee so many sold seats for the US carriers to start to fly there direct. Now they have a tourist industry, not huge but growing.
Maybe the GOB does not want mass tourism to take over it's cayes and that's why they don't figure out a way to lower prices.

No Northern Canuck, GOB DOES want mass tourism. That is why they are encouraging cruise ships to disgorge thousands of passengers into southern Belize. That is also why they have allowed uncontrolled growth of hotels on the Placencia peninsular.
Your point about Roatan just proves that lower prices can be achieved with the right will and determination.
But hey, which would you rather do, go to battle with the primarily US carriers AND the GOB to reduce air fares, or sit in your office writing marketing proposals and popping off to nice expensive junkets around the world to "encourage' tourism?
No-brainer-huh?

That's pretty much how I see it too chris45.

Chris you forgot to mention how the GOB has allowed all the building on AC yet refuse to tax the owners a 'reasonable' tax so as to raise cash to improve the country (education, health care, infrastructure etc). I thought the cruise ships went to Belize City and most if not all have to ferry cruisers in since there is no suitable dock. I may be wrong... I don't know Belize's cruise ship schedule but during the winter Roatan has 7 or 8 ships Tues Wed Thurs docking in Coxen Hole and one cruise line (Carnival I think) has built it's own docking grounds, tourist accomodation area, beach, mini mall etc. in another part of the island for it's ships only. Honduras has also proclaimed (but not implimented)the Bay Islands as a tax free zone to promote tourism. To my knowledge nothing like the above has been done in Belize.
Yes taking the easy way is a no brainer for sure...

Thank God the cruisers don't come to Ambergris Caye!!! That would be the end....

you are so right!

Jesse: don't count your chickens...any government that can seriously consider drilling oil wells off your shore can certainly send the cruise ships in.
Northern Canuck: Good point about raising taxes.Yes the cruise ships DO go to Belize City only, at present. but there are rumours of plans to send further cruise ships south to Placencia, Big Creek, and Punta Gorda. Of course we don't know for sure. because it's all top secret.
well Carnival is said to be buying up shorefront property in Placencia, a channel has been dredged off Big Creek and plans to improve the dock in Placencia are being discussed.
Placencia will soon have its very own casino, with all that brings with it, so at least the cruise ship tourists will have somewhere to go.
I agree with Phil. This is NOT the way to go. but it is not our decision apparently, nor does the publics view matter. In fact were it not for PCSD's efforts via Mary Toy, we would know even less than we do.
So please guys, don't sit back and think for one minute it can't happen on AC. It can.