Belize is on Fire
Belize is on fire. No, we are not talking about the weather. For certain, the natural elements have been humid and dry. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, last month was warmer than any previous April recorded since 1940. In fact, the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), stated at the beginning of May, that the region is entering an intense heat season for the next three months, which may lead to an early start of an intense wet season. What we are talking about is Belize’s tourism product and how it has been hitting new magazines, new marks, and new markets. One might say that Belize’s reputation as an eco-tourism destination has been set ablaze on various magazine pages and online platforms. The elements within our tourism industry such as our natural resources, food and beverage, and cultural heritage, have been portrayed in ways that leave readers with a burning desire to visit. The Jewel is described, illuminated, portrayed, and painted through the written word, and in this industry, words can ignite.
If a picture can say a thousand words, then the right words can paint a thousand pictures. At the start of this month, Top Viajes Magazine’s May 2024 publication called Belize “one of the last Edens of the planet Earth”. Now that is high praise and a notable literary allusion that kindles images of nature, beauty, and purity of ineffable measure. Over a 9-page spread, the magazine features Belize as “El ultimo paraiso del planeta” or in English, “the last paradise on the planet”. If that is not a fiery summarization, we don’t know what is. Top Viajes is the first online travel and tourism magazine in Spain catering to Spanish-speaking audiences. Belize has also been featured in Outside, an American magazine dedicated to the outdoors. The article thrillingly describes diving Belize’s Barrier Reef and our Great Blue Hole. The writer captures the barrier reef as “a riot of life” where nearly 1,400 different species “spend their days weaving in and out of a rich tapestry of hard and soft coral”. In the Los Angeles Magazine’s May 2024 Travel issue, Belize is highlighted as the “biggest personality in Central America”. We agree. Belize may be one of the smallest countries in Central America but the scope of our tourism offer is big, bright, and beautiful. No matter the language, the Jewel will always inspire the most burning words and images. As if to reinforce and validate all of these descriptions of Belize, TripAdvisor has announced its winners for this year. In the website’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards 2024, Belize has claimed some coveted top ranks in categories like: Small and Boutique, B&Bs and Inns, Luxury, All Inclusive Hotel, and Top Hotels. Where awards are concerned, less words are needed. For that matter, let’s not forget that Belize is hosting the 1stAnnual World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards this September.
All of the recent magazine features are testament that Belize is hitting new marks and markets. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Hon. Anthony Mahler, continue to do the work that blazes new routes for travelers from Latin America and Europe to visit Belize. While we bare the hot days, it is pretty cool to know that Belize might still be “Mother Nature’s best kept secret” and people are writing about it. There is no other way to say- Belize is on fire!
Chat again later.
Jasmine Anderson
For the Belize Tourism Board