Josh Buettner, a partner in Ambergris Seaside Real Estate in Belize, believes cruise traffic is not good for Belize: “Passengers don’t spend a lot of money, but they leave a large footprint.” Overnight tourists pay a departure tax of US$30, while cruise passengers pay only a couple of dollars. “People here are not fond of cruise passengers. They’ve overwhelmed the Mayan ruins and snorkel destinations.”

Too many cruise passengers at too few sites, especially snorkeling and diving sites, led the BTB to set a limit on the numbers permitted at each site. “We’re also opening up new areas for cruise passengers,” said Oxley. “We’re looking at the entirety. There are things we won’t compromise on.”

Those who don’t arrive in Belize by cruise ship are most likely to come by air. There are direct flights from Miami, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte, making Belize very accessible for North Americans. The flight from Miami is one hour and forty minutes long.

At present, there are no direct flights from Europe – one reason the country is not high on the European travel agenda. However, the main airport is just completing major expansion including lengthening the runway by 10,000 feet so larger aircraft can land, as well as refurbishing facilities. “This will allow for an increase in capacity,” said Oxley. “We’ve seen an increase in interest from European companies… entrepreneurs, tour operators. With the airport expansion there are plans to start direct flights from Europe, but nothing is definite yet.”

That’s good news for the developers who are launching a building boom in Belize and consider Europe “the biggest untapped market.”

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