Belize Tourism & Investment Data First Half of 2024 (January to June)
Belize Investment 2024
2024 has been a record-breaking year for Belize tourism! In 2024 (January to June), Belize had the highest historic overnight tourism arrivals.
Belize’s tourism growth and record-breaking tourism in 2024 have earned it the title of “Fastest Growing Caribbean Destination.” Based on year-over-year tourism growth, Belize is the Fastest-Growing Caribbean Destination.
Belize Fastest Growing Caribbean Destination in 2024
Belize Fastest Growing Caribbean Destination
Belize Fastest Growing Caribbean Destination in 2024
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), with lead travel analyst ForwardKeys, released a comprehensive report on Caribbean Tourism.
Belize has seen a 30% increase in international tourists in the first half of 2024 from 2023.
The 30% growth rate in Belize is impressive compared to other Caribbean destinations like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Jamaica, Cancun, The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, and more.
Belize Overnight Tourism Arrivals in 2024
2024 has been a record-breaking year for Belize tourism. Belize’s overnight tourism will be up by 30% in 2024.
Belize Monthly Tourism Arrivals
Belize 2024 Tourism Growth
2024 has seen record-breaking inbound tourism numbers. This has been largely due to increased direct flights and improved accessibility to Belize (internationally).
Total Overnight Tourists to Belize in 2024 is +30% higher than in 2023 (January to June) and +19% higher than in 2019 (prior peak tourism numbers).
Belize saw a 30% tourism increase in 2024 (January through June) compared to 2023.
Caribbean tourism is up 13% in 2024 compared to the prior year (2023, from Jan to June).
The 30% increase shows that Belize far outpaces the region in terms of tourism growth year-over-year.
Belize also had an increase of 19% in tourism arrivals from the benchmark tourism of 2019 (compared to the same timeframe before the pandemic).
Caribbean travel is 10% higher in 2024 than pre-COVID levels of 2019.
The +19% increase shows the pace at which Belize is outpacing the region for tourism growth post-pandemic. It is a strong indicator of the trajectory of Belize’s tourism and tourism recovery!
Belize & Caribbean Tourism 2024 vs 2023
Belize tourism and overnight arrivals have had a record-breaking year. Belize saw a 30% increase in 2024 (January through June) compared to 2023.
Caribbean tourism was up 13% in 2024 compared to the year prior (2023, from January to June).
Belize & Caribbean Tourism 2024 vs 2019
Belize also had an increase of 19% in tourism arrivals from the benchmark tourism of 2019 (compared to the same timeframe before the pandemic).
Caribbean travel is 10% higher in 2024 than pre-COVID levels of 2019.
Belize tourism in 2024 has also increased +19% from 2019.
When compared to the regional stats. Caribbean tourism is 10% higher in 2024 than pre-COVID levels of 2019.
The +19% increase shows that Belize is outpacing the region in terms of tourism growth and recovery.
Factors to Belize Tourism Growth
The ForwardKeys report also included stats on all the Caribbean markets and the factors driving regional and destination growth.
- Belize has seen record-breaking inbound tourism numbers in 2024. This has been largely due to the increased number of direct flights and improved accessibility.
- New York Travel to Belize is up +91% in 2024, largely due to the direct flights from JFK.
- Increased Family Travel. Belize was the second-ranked destination in the region for family travel, with a +35% increase, following only Curaçao, which saw a 38% increase.
- An Increase in Latin American visitors (Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina in particular).
- An increase in travelers visiting the Caribbean to attend carnivals and festivals.
Belize ranks 2nd among all regional destinations, with a 35% increase in family travel.
Belize was the second-ranked destination in the region for family travel, with a +35% increase, following only Curaçao, which saw a 38% increase.
Belize Tourism by Destination
Belize Tourism is primarily US-based. 2024 Belize Tourism is:
- 69% USA
- 11% Canada
- 20% Other
New York Travel to Belize is up +91% higher in 2024 than in 2023, following the launch of new direct flights in December when direct JFK flights started with JetBlue.
Belize Seat Capacity & Tourism
Belize in 2024 has seen record-breaking inbound tourism numbers. This has been largely due to increased direct flights and improved accessibility to Belize (internationally).
Belize also led the region in seat capacity in 2024, up +43% from 2023. The more flights and seat capacity, the higher the level of interest and accessibility.
ForwardKeys Seat Capacity includes information on scheduled direct flights and their seat capacity for different destinations.
Airline capacity reflects the planned total seat capacity airlines expect to offer. A seat capacity change reflects the supply and demand for a destination.
Belize Direct Flights
New York direct flights with JetBlue from JFK had a massive impact on Belize’s tourism growth. New York travel was the highest year-over-year increase (from any origin-destination) in 2024. New York Travel to Belize is up +91% in 2024 compared to 2023.
United Airlines announced the launch of new nonstop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Belize (BZE). Direct Non-Stop Flights Begin December 21, 2024.
Much like New York direct flights, San Francisco will have a large impact on Belize’s tourism growth!
The flights are also timed to sync with United’s TransPacific schedule from SFO, enabling one-stop connections to destinations lіkе Таіреі, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Singapore.
JetBlue Non-Stop Flights New York to Belize
United Airlines Direct Flights from San Francisco to Belize
Ambergris Caye Belize
Ambergris Caye has been the epicenter of Belize tourism for years and remains the country’s top tourism destination. Ambergris Caye and San Pedro Town are the top destination for overnight tourism in Belize. With 53.2% of the Overnight Tourists coming to Ambergris Caye.
The growth in tourism to Belize and Ambergris Caye has led to higher occupancy and higher nightly rental rates (for vacation rentals).
In 2024, the average occupancy of vacation rentals from January to June was 67.5%. The nightly rental rates for Ambergris Caye vacation rentals have been $290 per night in 2024 (January to June).
The nightly rental rates for Ambergris Caye vacation rentals have been $290 USD per night in 2024 (January to June). This is for all unit types and bedroom counts, which is a +34.3% increase from 2019.
For more information on Belize real estate and investing in Belize, contact us!
