Background Information

Belize City is the former capital of the country and as such has a legacy of historic buildings and structures. It is the main center for commerce and is still considered the economic capital.

With the International Airport in close proximity (30 minutes by road, 10 minutes by air) Belize City is the main point of entry and exit for the majority of overnight international visitors. It is also the hub for intra-country air, ground and water transportation and the landing point for the cruise ship industry which hosted almost 600, 000 visitors in 2008. One of the most popular activities for cruise visitors is touring the city on foot: a pursuit taken by over half of those who come ashore.

Even though Belize City has an important business visitor market (representing a quarter of those over-nighting only in the city), as well as an important cruise ship day visit market, the largest overnight visitor markets are the holiday market of which a substantial number travel to other parts of Belize, namely Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye and Cayo.

The Destination Management Plan for Belize City calls for the creation of a vibrant core downtown area that reflects the essence of Belize’s history and forges strong physical and visual links between neighborhoods.

STP INVESTMENT

Component 1:
To kick start the revitalization of Belize City the STP investments will focus on the physical improvement of a core area linking the Tourism Village with Down Town, identified as the Fort Point Pedestrian Walk.

Component 2:
A Waterfront Development Strategy for Belize City will be financed under Component 2 of the STP.