AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Air Fare Increases 30%

It really doesn't make a lot of sense to me that the price of oil has plunged to <$40 and a ticket from my house to BZ City has gone up 30% since October. The BTB is complaining about major reductions in tourist traffic. I probably will reduce my fishing trips from 6 to 3 next year. May start going to MX and not come to BZ at all. A ticket to Cancun can still be had for about $300r/t. Consider this: If the BTB were to subsidise the airlines for the 30% increases they put on my ticket they would only increase the ticket price ANOTHER 30% in order to get the BTB subsidy. However if the BTB were to subsidise the TOURIST with a 30% "Travel Chit" the airlines would be forced to COMPETE for that "Travel Chit". I'd be pleased to pick up my chit at the customs officers desk on my next trip. WHUDYA THINK?

Don I would think that reason behind the increase in airfare is due to less travelers, not a good thing.
If their break even cost is not happening then they have to up the cost per seat, I hope it doesn't affect good people like Tropic Air too badly.

RealDeal, If their break even fare to Cancun is about $350 it seems their break even fare to BZ is within a buck or two to of that price, not $825.

There are TONS of people flying. Anybody have bonefide statistics on the number of people flying now as compared with say 2 years ago? I would be very surprised if there were a drop in travel.

MALIBU, Air fares to other places in Cetral AM and South AM have not increased nearly as much as has it to BZ. Both American and Continental have lost their $ minds. It would seem that the BTB might acknowledge these differences and revise their policy to get into a more competative line with the other country's policys. It costs less to fly to Panama than BZ.

Don, please explain to a newcomer what the BTB does to cause these increases. It's not the airlines themselves raising fares? I see the BTB mentioned a lot. Are they pretty powerful?