I've just visited Playa for a night and I have to report it's booming. Many restaurants were totally full in the evening, dive shops told me they were making many trips, and 6 hotels I went to were full. Prices once there didn't seem much cheaper than Belize and it's a horrible concrete jungle, but air fares to get there are very low and that must be the answer.

Only my opinion.....Lower airfare prices will bring more tourists from the US and Canada, and direct flight capability will always bring more tourists from Europe. I bring 75% of the European travelers down from Cancun. Maybe 25% fly directly into BZE

Lots and lots of people from Europe go to Playa.
The latest statistics here (in Europe) show that although people are feeling the recession badly, the one thing they are not giving up is their holy almighty vacation.

I am absolutely sure that many European tourists would love to do the trip to Belize from Playa/Cancun. The problem is that they don't even know that Belize exists!

So, make people aware of the place. When I mention Belize here, most people think it is a town in Africa... not kidding!

Jan and any other resort owner who cares: Send me an E-mail and we could set up a small "Belize awareness" center here.
Seriously, a dirt cheap flight to Cancun and a transfer with i.e. Henry Menzie; a day or two on the mainland and five days on A.C. would work for most people - if only they knew!!! (+ flights from Corozal to S.P. are a lot cheaper than from BZE Int'l).

That's a great idea. I usually book their bus tickets, hotel along the way, Henry's transfer, and their flights to Corozal, send them an itinerary, so it's seamless for them.

Count us in....Jan, let us know and anyone else what we need to do.

Cindy

I would be happy to manage a website and a Belize Center with Marty as the web guru and serious resort/hotel owners as participants.

Belize has no representation worth mentioning in Europe. As an example, the Belize consulate in Spain is on the small island of Mallorca, a place where rich Germans have their vacation homes; and which (also from a marketing point-of-view) makes about as much sense as placing the US embassy in Belize on Southwater Caye.

If we can't get cheap and easy flight to bring the Euros ($) to A.C. we should use all the tricks (and cheap connections to Mexico) to get the people to a place much nicer than Playa. We have the location, the vibe and the people. Now it's all about information, information, information + a little bit of planning...

I have just checked flights, England to Cancun US$285, England to Belize US$982

What airlines Inplub for the Cancun to England airfare?

I was just in Playa earlier this week and noticed that Mexico is a better deal this year than last year. The prices in pesos are the same, but the exchange rate is 30% better than what we got last year. I saw MANY middle aged Italian tourists out in the evening with wrist bands, meaning that they are on a package deal with airfare, hotel and food for a cheap price.

The peso was at 10 to the U.S. dollar in July 2008. Today, the bank rate is over 15 to the dollar, which you should get pretty close to at an ATM. So that's a whopping 50% increase in pesos to the buck in just seven months.

I'm told prices in stores are going up, but the advantage is still with U.S. dollar holders.

--Lan Sluder

What would be the feasibility of running an aircratft on a charter basis from CUN to BZE? Say a Caravan once a week. "Cracked up", what would be the legal and cost issues?

And even bringing the aircraft direct to SP instead of routing via BZE? As a "one off" charter, not a scheduled service.

This could greatly enhance the attractiveness of Belize by doing away with the 6-7 hour journey each way.

I don't think it's that easy. Mexico has to agree to allow Belize aircraft in, and Belize has to allow Belizean aircraft to fly into Mexico.

In addition, SPR is not an international airport, and I suspect, it would require a lot of work to make it one.

Great, excellent idea, but just not sure that the MX and BZ government would ever get together on this. From the Mexican government's point of view, it would take away from their tourist trade, and a plethora of other bureaucratic gymnastics that I don't think either one want to perform.