Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, Hon. Anthony Mahler was recently featured in Travel Pulse Magazine. In the article, Hon. Mahler gives some insight into the efforts that the country’s tourism officials have been making to increase the country’s visibility in the world of travel and tourism.
Belize Tourism Officials Prepare for Future Growth
Written by Brian Major
Access to Belize will expand significantly in November when JetBlue launches nonstop flights between Belize City’s Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
To date, Belize’s 2023 visitor arrivals remain relatively flat (May’s land-based arrivals totaled 32,871 travelers, a 0.4 percent decline compared with May 2022). However, the country’s U.S.-based arrivals remain strong.
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- Photos by JetBlue Airways
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- Photo Credit: JetBlue
Americans accounted for 72.5 percent of Belize’s overnight visitors in May, according to Belize Tourism Board (BTB) officials. BTB reports 150,206 U.S. travelers visited the country during the month. Belize is also one of a handful of Caribbean destinations that attracts both land-based and cruise-ship visitors.
Anthony Mahler, Belize’s minister of tourism and diaspora relations, took office in 2020 following the decade-plus tenure of his predecessor, Manuel Heredia. TravelPulse spoke with Mahler recently to learn how his ministry will support Belize’s future tourism development.
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- Hon. Anthony Mahler
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- Golf Carts line the streets of San Pedro, Belize’s top travel destination. Photo by the Belize Tourism Board.
TP: How is the country performing in terms of visitor arrivals this year?
AM: We’re trending around at 91 percent of where we were 2019, maybe a little bit higher than the average.
TP: What brings visitors to Belize?
AM: I don’t think there’s any other destination in the world that could match what we have to offer here in such a small [area]. My short statement to [travelers] is ‘Easy to reach, more than just beach.’
We have been using our culture, the diversity of our people, and all of these things to spread the name Belize and to attract visitors to our country. We have a diverse product and people.
This is an excerpt from the article “Belize Tourism Officials Prepare for Future Growth” written by Brian Major for Travel Pulse. Read the full story here.
Featured Photo: Grab life, in Belize. Image courtesy Belize Tourism Board
