Anthony Mahler

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“The black eye happened already. The three young ladies have passed. Now it’s just a court case. Whatever the courts decide, I will support that. These things should never happen and we should take much more pride and accountability. We should have much more accountability in terms of when we’re building buildings to accommodate people, especially in the tourist sector.”

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

Watch the full newscast here:

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                          Wally Nunez

Wally Nunez, Mayor, San Pedro Town

“This morning, we are proud to welcome you to the opening of our artisan market, a space that celebrates local talent, culture, and opportunity. This project reflects the power of partnership and on behalf of the San Pedro Town Council, I extend sincere thanks to the Belize Tourism Board, Minister Andre Perez, and Minister Mahler for their support and commitment to community-based tourism.

                        Anthony Mahler

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“A couple years ago, when we looked at the tourism infrastructure that we have, or had at the time, we saw that there were many deficiencies. This is the main port of entry and then you walk into a building like this, and far too often, we don’t want to speak about these things. Now, I will say that most of the projects that we’ve worked on over the last two and half to three years have been community-based initiatives like this one. We believe in the importance of community and tourism, the people that we have in our communities and how they are integrated into the overall tourism product and how they can earn a decent living for themselves and their families.”

                        Andre Perez

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural North

“These are the places where, when people travel, we look, where can we get something that we can take back as a souvenir? And what is more fitting today than inaugurating an artisan market. So that is very, very important and I want to thank everyone for that collaborative effort that we do, working together with the council, the ministry, as the area rep. It’s about how our town is growing rapidly, by leaps and bounds. And yes, we must be realistic that we are playing catchup with infrastructure, but we’re coming along. Of course, today, with the artisan market we’ve done a lot. With the paving of almost seven miles of street, with concrete paving. Immediately after coming in, the bridge was about to collapse; we’ve accomplished that bridge, of course a hospital which is very, very vital for Ambergris Caye and serving neighboring Caye Caulker, that is coming along well, as well. Very soon, of course, they’re opening more of the roads that will lead up north. But with all of that, of course, we have to be mindful that we must grow in a way that is very sustainable.”

Leaders say San Pedro’s new artisan market is a big step toward community‑based tourism, creating local opportunities while making sure the island’s rapid growth stays sustainable.

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On the Phone: Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism, Belize Tourism Board

“We have been focusing more strategically on our marketing and that we have been putting a lot of effort into getting granular into where we market and to know where the people are coming from. So we’re using a lot of data to drive our strategic marketing plan for the year. In addition to that, I think that we continue to focus on developing the infrastructure within the tourism sector. I know that there is work to be done, but we continue to work on it piece by piece, step by step.”

Britney Gordon

“In some areas we have surpassed pre pandemic numbers. Do we anticipate that this year we might see it be passed in all the other areas?”

On the Phone: Evan Tillett

“In terms of cruise for 2025 versus 2024, I think we’re update about eight point one percent which is good growth. For the overnight sector, I think up just about one percent over 2024.And I must say that 2024 was the new benchmark here. So that is the highest number of. Overnight tourism that our tourist that has ever come into the country. I think in 2024 we are at five hundred and forty-seven K. This year we’re at, I think five fifty-one. And so there is some growth and we continue to see that trend going into January 2026, where we have surpassed the January numbers for 2025 marginally, but we have surpassed, I think the final number is. fifty-nine thousand one hundred seventy-three versus I think fifty-nine thousand ninety-five.”

As Belize’s tourism numbers continue to climb past pre‑pandemic levels, leaders say projects like San Pedro’s new artisan market show how growth can be paired with community opportunity and sustainable development.

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The market is located at the El Embarcadero site on Nurse Shark Street and was completed in January. Built with durable, coastal-appropriate materials, the weather-resistant facility can accommodate up to ten vendors and meets required safety and accessibility standards. Oversight of the site will now fall under the San Pedro Town Council.

Speaking at the ceremony, Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez said the market is intended to connect visitors directly with Belizean culture. “Every item hopefully that when they buy here will tell a story. A story of our home, our heritage and most importantly the honest Belizean work that comes along with it.”

Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler said the project forms part of a wider national effort to strengthen the tourism sector. “These projects that we’ve been working on all over the country have been focused on how, one project at a time, we can improve the tourism product,” he said. His comments follow other recent initiatives, including the upgraded community centre in Bullet Tree Falls. 

San Pedro’s mayor also welcomed the opening, describing the market as a space dedicated to local talent and community pride. “To our artisans and vendors, this market is for you,” he said.

Despite the official opening, some local artisans have expressed concern about the transition, noting that vendors have been relocated several times over the years and that the new facility may not be able to accommodate everyone currently selling at the existing market.

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Data released by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) shows 551,698 overnight visitors last year, a slight increase compared to 2024.

Although growth was modest at 0.8%, BTB said in a release that Belize is “not merely rebounding but beginning to stabilise at a higher post-pandemic level.”

Compared to 2019, before the pandemic, overnight arrivals are nearly 10% higher. BTB says this proves the country has moved beyond recovery and entered a new phase of growth.

Cruise tourism also showed strong gains, with 967,214 passengers arriving in 2025, up more than 8% from the previous year. Although still below the record of more than 1 million passengers in 2019, arrivals have steadily climbed from 210,206 in 2021.

“These results reflect the collective efforts of tourism stakeholders across Belize,” BTB noted, adding that continued investment has been key to sustaining momentum.

The post Is the Tourism Industry Beginning to “Stabilise”? first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                                Nicholas Sanchez

Nicholas Sanchez, Historian

“I don’t know what they’re saying. No one has ever, there’s so much things to talk about in a city tour. The reason why I did the city tour is because. In 1988, I came to Belize for my mom’s funeral and I wasn’t pleased with what I got for a fifty dollar city tour. They showed me the Bliss Lighthouse and Tomb, the Swing Bridge and the Paslow Building, the courthouse, St. John’s Cathedral and Government House, five things. And that was a city tour. I wasn’t very pleased. Because I know there were a heck of a lot more to Belize City than that. The old colonial city, Mapp Street to from Mapp Street, from the river Mapp Street, Freetown Road cut across maybe Newton Barracks, but Wilson Street to the sea. South side, you went as a, the canal, Collet Canal to the Yarborough Bridge down to the vaults. Caesar Ridge Road back out, and that’s it. That’s the old colonial city that, that I grew up in, I loved and I can talk about. But I don’t know what they sell people today. I don’t know what they’re saying.”

Shane Williams, Reporter

“And now are you open to, I know you are not in Belize often. Are you open to training people for the city tours if offered and ask?”

Nicholas Sanchez

“Most definitely. That would be an honor as it were. Not free, but an honor, nevertheless, because I will have so much to impart to these young people. Because it’s not, I’m not a political in a sense, this sense is teaching Belizeans not only their history, but how to make a living off their history.”

The post Belize City Tours: Are We Missing History? first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                  Evan Tillett

Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism (File: November 27th, 2025)

“October was also a little softer than 2024. In fact, this entire year has been a very volatile year in terms of arrival numbers. You have some months that we had record breaking arrivals. If you look at. January, February, April, July, August, they’re, they all set new benchmark in terms of monthly arrivals. And you look at the months in between, you’ll see some dips. And so it’s been a very challenging year and there’s no way of getting around that. What we do, we continue to market and try to work on a, what we call a green season marketing plan. We have the Belizean Traveler marketing program that we work with to try and push. We work with the private sector to try and get deals so that we can put it out to the international markets so that we can get people in. So those are things that we do to try and mitigate the low numbers in, in, in those months. But that has been traditionally the two lowest months on, on, on the tourist arrival calendar, September and October.”

                  Reynaldo Malik

Reynaldo Malik, President, Belize Hotel Association (File: November 27th, 2025)

“This three and a half week period that we are in right now is where we do see, I would say upwards of about sixty percent of next year’s revenue is going to come in this one small three week window right now and then we follow up on that with a Christmas sale afterwards, etc. right and the new year. So this is the selling window right here. I can speak for my group where I work. We have seen sales on par with last year.” 

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During a press conference held in late November, BTB Director Evan Tillett, however, said that the dip was balanced by record-breaking arrivals earlier in the year. “This entire year has been very volatile in terms of arrival numbers,” Tillett said. “Months like January, February, April, July, and August set new benchmarks, while others, like September and October, traditionally see lower numbers.”

Tillett added that the end of the shutdown two weeks before Thanksgiving, the unofficial start of Belize’s high season, helped position the industry for a strong finish to the year. To counter seasonal dips, the BTB continues to implement its green season marketing plan, including the Belizean Travel Marketing Program, and works with the private sector to offer deals aimed at attracting international visitors.

The post Tourism in Belize Dips Slightly in October Amid U.S. Shutdown first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Shane Williams for News Five.

Belize is bouncing back. After feeling the ripple effects of economic uncertainty and the U.S. government shutdown, signs of recovery are starting to show. September’s overnight arrivals dipped by eight-point-six percent, the start of a downward trend in recent months. However, even as the figures raise concerns, industry stakeholders are saying we must hold steady and are projecting that the upcoming high season could turn the tide. Industry stakeholders laid out the challenges, but also the reasons for optimism.

                    Evan Tillett

Evan Tillett, Director, Belize Tourism Board

“This entire year has been a very volatile year in terms of arrival numbers. You have some months that we had record breaking arrivals. If you look at January, February, April, July, August, they all set new benchmarks in terms of monthly arrivals. And you look at the months in between, you’ll see some dips. And so it’s been a very challenging year and there’s no way of getting around that.”

Belize’s tourism industry is turning challenges into opportunities. While recent months had investors on edge, trouble elsewhere is working in our favor. Hurricane Melissa’s devastation in Jamaica and cartel violence in Mexico have travelers, and travel agents, looking to Belize instead. Hotels are already seeing the shift. The Belize Hotel Association says bookings for the December-to-March high season look strong, with some properties nearly full. And with U.S. federal workers getting back pay after the shutdown, families now have extra cash to spend on vacations.

                    Reynaldo Malik

Reynaldo Malik, President, Belize Hotel Association                   

“This three and a half week period that we are in right now is where we do see, I would say upwards of about sixty percent of next year’s revenue is going to come in this one small three week window right now and then we follow up on that with a Christmas sale afterwards, etc. right and the new year. So this is the selling window right here. I can speak for my group where I work. We have seen sales on par with last year.” 

Tourism’s resilience isn’t just about renewed economic confidence in the U.S. Overall, there has been a one-point seven percent decrease in visitors from the United States this year. However, CEO Nicole Usher, of the Ministry of Tourism, says part of the sector’s stability comes from expanding where Belize markets itself. She highlighted recent successes in attracting tourists from non-traditional markets, including Italy, Spain and Switzerland, drawing more visitors than ever. The ministry’s strategy is simple, reducing reliance on North American market and opening doors to new visitor segments.

                   Nicole Usher

Nicole Usher, CEO, Ministry of Tourism:

“We know that the US market has had a softening indeed. And one of the things that we’ve been doing is focusing on secondary markets and regional markets. And I do want to hand it over to the president of BTIA to speak on that. We’ve been working together a lot on that. We had recently done a lot of work in Central America. We recently signed a corporation agreement with El Salvador as well, the Mundo Maya organization and I know we’ve been talking about this for many years, but in our ability to really increase the regional travel, especially in Central America is going to be important for us.”

So, while mid-year turbulence raised alarms, industry leaders say the data and the bookings tell a different story. Belize’s tourism industry is still running strong and gearing up for a high season that could put the industry firmly back on an upward track. Shane Williams for News Five.

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