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Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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There is fantastic news to report in the tourism travel industry for Belize. Hot on the heels of the release of record breaking tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2013, new flights and cruise calls to Belize were announced for the final quarter of the year.

Starting in November, Delta Airlines will be adding another Saturday flight from Atlanta to Belize. Delta currently deploys seven flights a week (one flight per day) to Belize, increasing its total number of flights to eight per week (twice on Saturdays). This is an additional 596 seats per month, and will be a permanent addition to Delta's schedule to Belize.

In addition, American Airlines will be increasing its Dallas to Belize flights from three weekly flights to seven flights per week (one flight daily), providing a total of 600 additional seats in the month of October.

BTB's Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, Alyssa Carnegie, commented, "This is fantastic news. The Tourism Industry is doing so well that even the airlines have seen a need to increase flights, and these flights are being increased during a time that was generally considered to be a slow time for traveling by air. It shows amazing growth and more opportunities for the industry and Belize."

As the Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the Belize Tourism Board continue to invest efforts to increase cruise arrivals for Belize, the Royal Caribbean International announced that not only have they renovated their 'Navigator of the Seas' to include unique features such as a Flow Rider Surf Simulator and the First-Ever Virtual Balcony, but will also deploy the Navigator of the Seas year round out of Galveston, Texas, starting in Winter 2013.

As a result, Belize will receive a total of 30 cruise calls during 2014. For the past two years, Belize has not had more than 10 calls per year from 'Navigator of the Seas'; therefore this news will result in a 200% increase for this cruise ship. It is expected that this increase in cruise calls will bring over 90,000 cruise visitors to Belize.

Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Airlines' Increase In Flights To Belize Spells More Tourists Arrivals According to Marketing Director

There is good news coming from the Belize Tourism Board tonight. The new flights and cruise calls to Belize were announced for the final quarter of the year of 2013 and the numbers have increase. Delta Airlines and American Airlines have increased their flights to Belize. BTB's Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, Alyssa Carnegie, explained the importance this news.

ALYSSA CARNEGIE
"What this means is that people know about Belize, they're interested in Belize and they want to come. The air lift is actually based on actual bookings, so that's really exciting. This is not projections; this is based on a demand and just looking at Economics and the basic law of supply and demand; people are asking for it, so the airlines are demanding it and we figured that is only the beginning of what we think we are going to see for the rest of the year and going into next year. BTB does a lot of work with stakeholders on the ground in tourism to ensure that we can meet and satisfy this demand increase. One of the things we have gotten very smart about knows our tourism product meaning, where the people are located; what are the product offerings they have and what standards there are. The Quality Assurance Department within the Belize Tourism Board is actually working to develop standards not only for properties but also for tour operators. So, it means that the quality of the product or the service that we are offering will be heightened or will be assured or validated to assure the consumers, the costumer who is coming to Belize. So, it's not only an effort to stimulate interest or plant that seed of travel but the idea is when they come here, what they see is what they get or what they are being told they are going to get is actually what they will receive."

As for cruise ship arrivals, Carnegie says that Belize will receive a total of thirty cruise calls during 2014, an increase of 200%. It is expected that this increase in cruise calls will bring over ninety thousand cruise visitors to Belize.

LOVEFM


Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR TOURISM, SAYS BTB

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) today announced new developments which they say will bring increased tourist traffic and more revenues to Belize. Starting November, Delta Airlines will be adding one more weekly flight from Atlanta to Belize - an additional 596 seats per month, and American Airlines will increase its Dallas to Belize flights from three to seven per week (one flight daily), providing a total of six hundred additional seats in the month of October, the BTB announced.

Additionally, Royal Caribbean International will also deploy the Navigator of the Seas year-round out of Galveston, Texas, starting in winter 2013 - a move that should increase port calls by 200%, from 10 to 30 a year.

"It is expected that this increase in cruise calls will bring over ninety thousand cruise visitors to Belize," the BTB said.

"This is fantastic news!" the BTB's Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, Alyssa Carnegie, said. "The tourism industry is doing so well that even the airlines have seen a need to increase flights, and these flights are being increased during a time that was generally considered to be a slow time for traveling by air. It shows amazing growth and more opportunities for the industry and Belize."

Carnegie informs that revenues from overnight tourism, based on taxes collected, are ten times revenues collected from cruise tourism.

As for the positive ripple effects on the tourism industry, she said, "As we are increasing accessibility to Belize, the opportunities for jobs and revenue generation will be greatly increased."

She told us that "the overall tourist expenditure in 2011 was BZ$513.5 million, 82.9 percent of which was overnight and 17.1 percent for cruise."

The BTB is currently using 2012 numbers, she said. No revenue figures were quoted for 2013.

"We expect that the [revenue] increase should be significant across the board, but especially in cruise, where the past years have shown a lesser number of arrivals," Carnegie explained.

"There is currently a [tour] guide to guest ratio of 1:8 for marine tours and 1:15 for land tours. With more tourists looking for tours, there should be additional guides that will be needed," Carnegie added.

In order to facilitate the increased tourism traffic, there are new projects in the pipeline, consistent with the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan being undertaken countrywide. Special accommodations are being made for overnight tourists, such as the San Ignacio Welcome Center and the paving of the Hopkins Road.

Whereas the increased tourist traffic is being billed only for the short-term, the outlook is positive, Carnegie noted.

"The commitment of additional airlift is based on actual bookings for the rest of the year, so the expectation is that as we continue to grow the market so will the airlines respond with airlift. Many people are talking about Belize: they want to visit Belize. So following the law of supply and demand, the cruise and air industry are responding," she explained. "Our objective is to grow the amount of people coming to Belize but in a sustainable way, in a manner that will not only maintain the beauty, but also integrity of our country," she said.

Amandala


Joined: Oct 2003
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The Dallas to (direct) Belize flights are always daily in season (Oct-April) and less in off season. What they announced is nothing new.

Joined: Jun 2001
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Spin it one way and can sound good but same old same old

Joined: Oct 2012
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I just waiting for a $400 flight to Belize instead of the usual $700.

Joined: Jun 2001
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You might be waiting a looooooong time!

Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Increased Airlift To Belize

Last night, we told you about the 12th Annual Tourism Award Ceremony, which was held at Bannister Caye on Saturday.

But one thing that didn't make it into the story is when Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr, in his opening address at the ceremony, took the opportunity to announce that they expect an increase in overnight tourism arrivals due to an increase in flights by Delta Airlines.

Here's are the details:

Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism
"I would like to take the opportunity to announce a rather new exciting addition to our existing airlift. As of December 21st, 2013, Delta Airlines will commence its year round non-stop service from Los Angeles to Belize City round trip. This service will be bookable as of May 25th and will make available 693 new seats to Belize each month. In the first instance this flight will be weekly on Saturdays but will give us the long sought after non-stop West Coast service. What is more it will allow for one stop same day service to Asia and Australia. This announcement serves as a testament of the commitment of my government and the work of the BTB and it's aviation development committee to open up new and meaningful opportunities for Belize."

These new fights are expected to begin in November. In addition, American Airlines will be increasing its Dallas to Belize flights from three weekly flights to seven flights per week providing a total of six hundred additional seats in the month of October.

Channel 7



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