Tourist Arrivals During the Month of September

The months of July to October are considered as the slow season for the tourism industry in Belize. Despite efforts being made by the Ministry of Tourism and the Belize Tourism Board to attract visitors to the country during this time, the month of September almost always sees Belizeans within the diaspora returning home for the festivities. So what are the expectations for the industry in terms of tourist arrivals?

Anthony Mahler

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“September is going into the very heart of the low season, September and October, and then we bounce off back in November for thanksgiving weekend and then into Christmas and then the New Year. But you are right, during this time, many people in the diaspora come home and so that helps to support the tourism industry during slow season for international guests. We are seeing a trend towards 2019 numbers. Actually, July was an impressive month and August was a little slower, but still strong enough, especially during this time. We have had significant discussions with the airlines and they have so many crucial issues internally that the capacity into destinations has been stunted. So for example one airline told us over the last week that pilots don’t want to fly on weekends anymore because during COVID, they got close to their families and so it is difficult to find pilots. They are going through a robust training program for pilots. We are working at a frenetic pace to ensure that we continue to build capacity. As long as we build capacity into the country, whether by land sea or air, we will see uptake in tourism.  But our goal is to ensure that we grow in a sustainable manner and we protect the natural and human resources that we have in this country for many years to come.”