Belize prepares for the restart of cruise operations

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) announced a new set of health and safety protocols that will guide the restart of cruise operations at the destination, outlining the necessary adjustments and adaptations to be made at each step of the cruise cycle. , from the port of origin to the destination and back.

These measures are the result of an effort by the Belize Cruises Task Force, in collaboration with the Americas Cruises Task Force and the Central America Cruises Subcommittee, to develop special health and safety protocols in line with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); these also incorporate recommendations from the Healthy Sailing Panel, the Belize Ministry of Health and Welfare, and local stakeholders through consultation.

"There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the reopening of the cruise industry. The outlook seems much more positive than last year," said the Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations. "It is vital that we are adequately prepared for the return of our guests, and the key to our success lies in developing a strategic framework to ensure a safe experience for passengers, crew and the destination."

For four consecutive years, Belize received more than 1 million cruise passengers annually on its shores. In 2019, before the pandemic, Belize received almost 1.2 million passengers, with 68% of travelers arriving at Fort Street Tourism Village in Belize City and 32% arriving at Harvest Caye in the south of the country. The BTB and the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations are committed to the full recovery of the cruise industry to Pre-COVID numbers and to improving Belize's tourism product to make it more competitive within the region.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will resume with the first sailing test on August 4, 2021. This will be followed by the first official guests to visit Harvest Caye on August 9, 2021, signaling the reopening of the tourism sector. of cruises in Belize. It has been more than a year since the cruise industry in the region was suspended, and thousands of Belizeans working in this sector are now ready to welcome cruise passengers once again, guided by new health and safety protocols.