What to know before traveling to Belize
In case you missed it, Belize’s Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) is finally scheduled to re-open on August 15, 2020. The reopening of Belize’s tourism industry for leisure travel is split into five phases, with the first two already underway. The opening of the international airport will kick-off Belize’s third phase of re-opening, allowing for further travel relaxation and open entry for chartered flights, private aviation and limited re-opening of international leisure travel with approved hotels only.
The regulated visitor process consists of set rules of engagement every traveler must abide by to ensure the safety of both themselves and Belizeans. These include temperature checks, a negative Covid-19 test result (a Covid PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding the flight to Belize, or a rapid test upon arrival to the country), and other sanitizing processes.
Many of those wanting to visit the Jewel are cautiously planning their itineraries as they familiarize themselves with the new enhanced health and safety protocols being put in place to ensure the safety of all, and to mitigate the risk of contracting the virus. If you’re ready to hit the beaches in San Pedro (at a safe social distance, of course,) or explore the jungles of Mountain Pine Ridge, here’s a list of the airlines resuming service to Belize when the country reopens:
- American Airlines – Miami to Belize, daily service (resumes August 18th)
- United Airlines – Houston to Belize, 5 times per week (resumes August 15th)
- Delta – Atlanta to Belize, 3 times per week (resumes September 3rd)
In addition to the reopening of the international airport, the Belize Tourism Board has also created a “Tourism Gold Standard” Recognition Program for hotels, restaurants and tour operators. This 9-point program seeks to enhance the tourism industry’s health and safety standards by adapting new behaviors and procedures to ensure both employees and travelers are confident in the cleanliness and safety of Belize’s tourism product.
When international leisure travel resumes on August 15th, opening of hotels will be done in a phased approach. The first grouping of hotels that will be allowed to open include properties that:
- Have achieved the Tourism Gold Standard Certificate of Recognition, and
- Provide full service to guests. This means that these hotels are able to provide all amenities, so as to contain the guest on the property, and minimize opportunities for guest interaction within the local community. These amenities include having transportation to offer pick-up/drop-off services from the airport; access to a restaurant on property; have a pool or access to beach front; and be able to provide isolated tours, limited to guests of the property only.
Passengers are therefore encouraged to book Gold Standard approved hotels. A list of the Gold Standard approved hotels will be available at www.travelbelize.org in the coming weeks.
For more information on travel to Belize, feel free to email us at info@travelbelize.org.
*Update: As of today, August 10, 2020 the reopening of the airport has been postponed to an unknown date. The above rules and protocols for Gold Standard hotels still apply for when the airport eventually reopens.
