The Belize Tourism Board just released tourism arrival statistics for Belize which shows that the third quarter of 2014 has registered increases in tourist arrivals across the board. The outstanding growth in arrivals for both overnight and cruise have exceeded forecasted numbers for this quarter. Overall for the first nine months of this year, overnight arrivals are up by 11%; airport arrivals are up by 9.2% and cruise arrivals are up by almost 45%.
Historically, the third quarter is the slowest period for visitor traffic into the international airport of Belize. However, this year, there were arrival increases in every month of the third quarter through the PGIA. Airport arrivals for the third (3rd) quarter of 2014 has seen an increase of 3.9% compared to last year. July registered an increase of 6.0%, the highest increase for this quarter when compared to July 2013.
Overnight arrivals for the third (3rd) quarter of 2014 has seen an increase of 8.8% over 2013. Compared to last year, an increase of 12.1% in overnight visitors was recorded for September.
The cruise arrival numbers for the third quarter of 2014 have been consistently high. From July through to September, a77.9% increase was recorded. There was a 106.8% increase in the number of cruise passenger arrivals in July, followed by over 40% and 90% arrival increases in the months of August and September, respectively. With increases over forty percent for each month this quarter, it marks one of the best years for cruise visitor arrivals in Belize’s tourism history.
Director of Marketing & Industry Relations Alyssa Carnegie says that the growth in tourist arrivals is good news for Belize. “Seeing these impressive tourist arrival figures during the third quarter can only mean that we are putting in the work; the BTB, its sister agencies, and very importantly, our partners and the thousands of Belizeans who work in this industry,” commented Alyssa Carnegie.
“We know that visitor experience in Belize is one of the highest in this region, and that can only improve as we continue to elevate the quality of our product offerings and the level of service. It shows that we are moving in the right direction and that the work doesn’t stop here. There is room to grow these numbers across the board, and more so during the low season. This really is great news for Belize and we should all be proud.”
