BELMOPAN, Belize –The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) announces that 2019 was a year of milestone achievement for overnight tourism arrivals.
For the first time in the history of our tourism development, Belize has surpassed the half-million mark in overnight arrivals. In 2019, a total of 503,177 overnight visitors were welcomed to Belize, an increase of 2.8 percent from 489,261 in 2018. The National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP) endorsed in 2012, has a goal of achieving overnight arrivals of 556,000 by 2030. However, with ten years remaining, the 2019 figure is representative of already attaining more than 90 percent of this 2030 vision.
This milestone achievement and ongoing positive growth trend in overnight arrivals can be attributed to many factors including, strategic marketing initiatives promoting Belize globally, enhanced collaboration with local and international partners, a significant increase in international direct flights to Belize and the development of tourism resources and destinations across the country.
“This is a significant accomplishment which is testament to the fact that Belize’s tourism industry continues on an upward trend. In fact, over the past decade, Belize experienced over 100 percent growth in the overnight sector, up from 241,119 arrivals in 2010. We now look forward to building on this achievement in 2020, as we continue to work with our valued industry partners and stakeholders, to further develop and enhance Belize’s tourism product” states minister of tourism and civil aviation, Manuel Heredia Jr.
The BTB takes this opportunity to thank tourism stakeholders for their commitment to the continued growth and development of the industry. This milestone achievement is a reaffirmation that because of our combined efforts, Belize remains a rapidly growing destination of choice in the region.