Its never a good time ! If that was the case we would not start anything, go for it, in saying that, I would think most hotels on cc are on the market or would take an offer & at the right price would sell.
I beleave CC WILL take off one day, if the powers that be let it happen,& IF WE LIVE THAT LONG ! ! !

how bad is it down there? Are there any other parts Belize thats doing better? What would you say the occupency rate is, acording to the toursim board its 50% All of the real estate firms are saying thatbusiness is booming any info would be helpfull

You must not be talking to the right real estate firms - perhaps you are talking to an agent that hasn't lived here for more than a few months.

Business in the nation is not booming at the moment - in fact it is basically a reflection of the US economy.

There are small sectors of industry that are possibly doing a little better than others, there are some hotels that are doing better than others etc - but most of these are either well established businesses with repeat clientele - or places that have slashed their rates considerably.

There are a lot of lay-offs occuring and we haven't hit our "slow" season yet.

Having said that there is some business around, if you build you would be under construction for months and we all expect (hope) to see a turn around in the economy in the upcoming year.

It is a tough time to be a "start up" but if you can make it when it is quiet, you will go gang busters in the future.

Good luck - be wise, do your due diligence and I hope you will enjoy your dream of living in Belize when the time and the circumstances are suitable to your unique needs.

The economy has directly affected our travel decisions for our October trip to Ambergris Caye. We usually stay at The Palms. In a down economic time, places that cater to the "Value" tourist are going to excel while those who look to get a premium rate, won't.

That logic also flows to a large part to Belize as a whole. Airfare to many Caribbean destinations is extremely cheap ($130) while it's tough to find something to Belize for under $600 from most locations. In an economy that creates more "Value" travelers, Belize is going to get hit harder than say a Cancun or Puerto Rico.

Much of the cost for travel I suspect is the airport landing fees
that the Govt. charges to land at BZE.

the figure usually tossed around is 40% occupancy rate country wide.
here is what i have seen from my vantage point.
the larger, more swanky places are not doing so well right now. lay-offs are getting more and more often.
the smaller places seem to be holding up.
my theory,, people still want to travel but maybe some of the hi end travelers are toning it down a bit and staying at the cheaper places?
i would have to agree with someone else's point,, buy an existing business. no need to clutter the place up with more empty rooms.

On the airfare front, last August I paid $459pp,rt,incl taxes and fees. This year it's $700.

Drop me an email. I own about the busiest hotel on the island and continue to do very well. Get in touch and will give you the details or at least some advice. My hotel is for sale for the right price.

info@cayerealestate.com

...as is nearly everything in Belize.

One of the best questions I heard in Belize was, "How do you make a small fortune there?"

The answer: "Start out with a large one."

Just food for thought.