The latest statistics show that tourism arrivals to Belize continue to record impressive growth. There was a 16.6% and 19.9% growth in overnight and cruise ship arrivals respectively after completion of the third quarter of the year. This means that Belize continues to be a popular vacation destination in Central America among those seeking exceptional adventure and relaxation.
The following is a breakdown of the most recent statistics.
OVERNIGHT ARRIVALS GREW BY 16.6% OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR
In September 2018, over 21,000 overnight visitors arrived in Belize. This represented a 10.1% increase in visitors over September 2017. At the end of the third quarter of 2018, overnight visitors grew by 16.6% over the previous year.
2016 2017 2018
% change % change % change
Vs ‘15 Vs ‘16 Vs ‘17
Jan 38,274 24.0 38,531 0.7 48,662 26.3
Feb 37,624 18.5 39,221 4.2 45,896 17.0
Mar 43,063 10.0 44,475 3.3 55,488 24.8
Apr 30,656 11.2 38,090 24.2 40,340 5.9
May 29,709 20.2 32,146 8.2 35,726 11.1
Jun 34,268 17.4 37,690 10.0 43,389 15.1
Jul 36,212 16.9 38,628 6.7 46,276 19.8
Aug 25,865 8.3 30,799 19.1 34,816 13.0
Sep 18,115 26.9 19,508 7.7 21,482 10.1
Oct 21,726 14.7 22,656 4.3
Nov 29,510 -1.3 36,203 22.7
Dec 40,561 1.5 49,131 21.1
385,583 13.0 427,076 10.8 372,075 16.6
IN THIRD QUARTER, CRUISE VISITORS ARRIVALS GREW BY 19.9%
In September 2018, over 66,000 cruise ship passengers visited the country of Belize. This represented an increase of 15.9% or over 9,100 more cruise passengers as compared to September 2017. Cruise ship calls totaled 21 for this month. At the end of the third quarter, total cruise visitor arrivals for the year grew by 19.9%. Arrivals for 2018 includes visitors from both Belize City and Harvest Caye Seaports.
2016 2017 2018
% change % change % change
vs. ’15 vs. ’16 vs. ’17
Jan 102,337 -19.7 127,061 24.2 131,509 3.5
Feb 98,623 3.7 120,996 22.7 118,799 -1.8
Mar 135,283 1.3 117,578 -13.1 132,122 12.4
Apr 90,657 -0.7 97,422 7.5 91,253 -6.3
May 61,977 41.3 61,152 -1.3 82,084 34.2
Jun 65,399 28.8 47,007 -28.1 73,917 57.2
Jul 51,968 -4.6 44,392 -14.6 82,282 85.4
Aug 39,189 -22.6 52,534 34.1 91,313 73.8
Sep 54,569 20.6 57,718 5.8 66,889 15.9
Oct 56,697 38.3 76,403 34.8
Nov 106,144 30.9 100,797 -5.0
Dec 142,551 -0.7 111,171 -22.0
1,005,394 4.9 1,014,231 0.9 870,168 19.9
Despite its small size, Belize is a charming combination of cultures, attractions and adventures – a place that fully embraces its Central American and Caribbean heritage, celebrates its unique diversity and takes great pride in its impressive natural beauty as a perfect vacation paradise in this region.
The most recent tourism statistics not only attest to this fact but they also show a consistent upward growth trend. The years ahead promise to bring exciting developments at a time when our dynamic tourism industry is poised for further growth.
