Tourism in Belize is a major industry in the country. The sector has grown in the 2020s, with international arrivals reportedly increasing 30% in 2024, the highest rate in the Caribbean. Former Prime Minister Dean Barrow stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country.
The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. The results for Belize's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming almost one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2012.2012: A Remarkable Year for Belize’s Tourism Industry. San Pedro Sun Newspaper. Retrieved on 6 March 2013.
History Prior to its independence in 1981, Belize was not regarded as a tourist destination due to an inadequate infrastructure. However, rapid expansion of the tourist industry over the last decade has made it the nation's second largest industry.
Belize has large array of diverse tourist, adventure tourist, and eco-tourist attractions. The Belize Barrier Reef (second largest in the world), over 450 offshore Cayes (islands), excellent fishing, safe waters for windsurfing, swimming, cave rafting, boating, paddleboarding, scuba diving, and snorkelling, numerous rivers for rafting, and kayaking, various jungle and wildlife reserves of fauna and flora, for hiking, bird watching, and helicopter touring, as well as many Maya ruins, support the thriving tourism and ecotourism industry. Of the hundreds of cave systems, Belize also holds the largest cave system in Central America, 544 species of birds, and well-preserved natural beauty. Despite all this, it is still among the least visited countries in the region.
Statistics In 2024 there were about 500,000 tourist arrivals.
+Tourist arrivals of 2023 in %
Government promotion of tourism Development costs are high, but the Government of Belize has designated tourism as its second development priority after agriculture. In 2012, tourist arrivals totalled 917,869 (with about 584,683 from the U.S.) and tourist receipts amounted to over $1.3 billion.
Tourism is the domain of the Ministry of Tourism, within which the Belize Tourism Board works as a link between the private and public sector.
Economic The tourism industry is an important part of the economy of Belize, in 2007 contributing to over 25% of all jobs, and making up over 18% of the GDP. This constituted 590 million BZD (295 million USD), according to the Belize government, up 90 million BZD (45 million USD) from the year before. Important tourist attractions in Belize include the natural attractions of land and sea, making the areas important in Ecotourism, as well as the historic ruins of Belize's Pre-Columbian Maya civilization.
Tourist destinations Popular tourist destinations include San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker, both located about 70 km and 40 km east off the coast of Belize, both situation only a few miles from the Barrier Reef at any point. They have been regarded as a "tropical paradises" by the Los Angeles Times. Cruise ships have been docking in Belize City, and average 850,000 tourists alone every year, some who partake in tours to nearby districts as well as the colonial city.
Mainland beaches Almond Beach, Hopkins Maya Beach, Placencia Sabal Beach, Punta Negra Sarteneja Orchid Bay, Corozal Monkey River Beach Cerros Beach (A mini Tulum) Cucumber Beach, Mile 4, Western Highway Gales Point Lagoon Honey Camp Lagoon
Popular cayes
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye Caye Caulker Coco Plum Island Half Moon Caye Laughing Bird Caye Goff's Caye St. George's Caye Tobacco Caye Blackadore Caye Caye Chapel Sapodilla Cayes
Rural and community-based tourism Many privately run companies have cooperatives in Southern Belize that manage a rural and community-based tourism project, which has been developed with support from the UNESCO. Tourism allows otherwise marginalized minorities such as the Maya and the Garifuna people to receive new opportunities in alternative markets, harvest crops, preserve and involve foreigners in their culture and diversify their income. Many companies offer visitors the opportunity to visit a cacao, cashew farm, learn about Maya, Kriol or Garifuna craftsmanship, and even to stay overnight on a Maya, Kriol or Garifuna village and explore with a community guide.
Ecological tourism
Eco-tourism aims to be ecologically and socially conscious, it focuses on local culture, wilderness, and adventure. Belize's eco-tourism is growing with every passing year, it boasts a number of eco-tourist tours and energy efficient hotels, with environmentally-conscious and renewable resources. Popular eco-tourism destinations in Belize include the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Community Baboon Sanctuary.
Waterfalls Antelope Falls in Mayflower Bocawina National Park Mayflower Bocawina Falls in Mayflower Bocawina National Park Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of the Cayo District Butterfly Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of the Cayo District Five Sisters Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of the Cayo District Rio Blanco Falls Rio On Pools San Antonio Falls Thousand Foot Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of the Cayo District
Archaeological reserves
Before the arrival of Europeans in America, Belize lay in the heartland of the Maya civilisation, and consequently contains some of the earliest and most important Maya ruins. Archaeological findings at Caracol, in the southern end of the country, have suggested that it formed the centre of political struggles in the southern Maya lowlands. The complex covered an area much larger than present-day Belize City and supported more than twice the modern city's population. Meanwhile, Lamanai, in the north, is known for being the longest continually-occupied site in Mesoamerica, settled during the early Preclassic era and continuously occupied up to and during the area's colonisation.
While the majority of reserves under this category are related to the pre-colonial era, Serpon Sugar Mill and Yarborough Cemetery, both designated in 2009, only date from the 19th century and are alternatively described as historical reserves.
The country's 15 archaeological sites are managed by the Institute of Archaeology, a branch of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), which comes under the authority of the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture. This type of protected area was gazetted under the Ancient Monuments and Antiquities Act, 1 May 1972. All of the following reserves are open to the public. Many other sites, such as Cuello and Uxbenka, are located on private land and can only be visited if prior permission is obtained from the landowner.
List of Maya ruins in Belize
The following is a list of other archaeological sites located within Belize: Actun Tunichil Muknal Altun Ha Baking Pot Barton Creek Cave Cahal Pech Caracol Cerros Chaa Creek Colha Cuello El Pilar Ka'Kabish K'axob La Milpa
Lamanai Louisville Lubaantun Marco Gonzalez Nim Li Punit Nohmul Nohoch Che'en Pusilha San Estevan Santa Rita, Corozal Serpon sugar mill Tipu Uxbenka Xnaheb Xunantunich
Main natural attractions Roughly 26% (2.6 million acres, or 1.22 million hectares) of Belizean land and sea is preserved within a total of 95 reserves, which vary in their purpose and level of protection. This network of protected areas exists under a variety of management structures:
National parks
In Belize, national parks are areas designed for the protection and preservation of natural and aesthetic features of national significance for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Therefore, they are areas of recreation and tourism, as well as environmental protection. National parks are gazetted under the National Parks System Act of 1981. They are administered by the Forest Department and managed through partnership agreements with community-based non-governmental organisations.
+ List of national parks Reserve District Size(ha) Size(acres) IUCN Co-management Est. Description Aguas Turbias Orange Walk II — 1994 Bacalar Chico Belize V Green Reef Environmental Institute 1996 Excludes adjacent marine reserve. Billy Barquedier Stann Creek II Steadfast Tourism and Conservation Association 2001 Chiquibul Cayo II Friends for Conservation and Development 1995 Excludes adjacent forest reserve. Five Blues Lake Cayo II Friends of Five Blues Lake National Park 1994 Gra Gra Lagoon Stann Creek II Friends of Gra Gra Lagoon 2002 Guanacaste Cayo II Belize Audubon Society 1994 Honey Camp Corozal / Orange Walk II Association of Friends of Freshwater Creek 2001 Laughing Bird Caye Stann Creek II Southern Environmental Association 1996 Mayflower Bocawina Stann Creek II Friends of Mayflower Bocawina National Park 2001 Monkey Bay Belize II Guardians of the Jewel 1994 Nojkaaxmeen Elijio Panti Cayo II Belize Development Foundation 2001 Payne's Creek Toledo II Toledo Institute for Development and Environment 1994 Peccary Hills Belize II Gracie Rock Reserve for Adventure, Culture and Ecotourism 2007 Río Blanco Toledo II Río Blanco Mayan Association 1994 Sarstoon-Temash Toledo II Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management 1994 Ramsar site. St. Herman's Blue Hole Stann Creek II Belize Audubon Society 1986
Natural monuments
A natural monument is designated for the preservation of unique geographic features of the landscape. The designation is primarily based on a feature's high scenic value, but may also be regarded as a cultural landmark that represents or contributes to a national identity.
Natural monuments are gazetted under the National Parks System Act of 1981; marine-based monuments additionally come under the Fisheries Act. Of the five natural monuments in the country, three are terrestrial, administered by the Forest Department, while the remaining two are marine-based and come under the authority of the Fisheries Department.
+ List of natural monuments Image Reserve District Size(ha) Size(acres) IUCN Co-management Est. Description Actun Tunichil Muknal Cayo Ia Belize Audubon Society; Institute of Archaeology 2004 Terrestrial. Blue Hole Belize III Belize Audubon Society 1996 Marine. Half Moon Caye Belize II Belize Audubon Society 1982 Marine. Thousand Foot Falls Cayo III — 2004 Terrestrial. Victoria Peak Stann Creek III Belize Audubon Society 1998 Terrestrial.
Nature reserves
The country's three nature reserves enjoy the highest level of protection within the national protected areas system. The designation was created for the strict protection of biological communities or ecosystems, and the maintenance of natural processes in an undisturbed state. They are typically pristine, wilderness ecosystems.
Nature reserves are legislated under the National Parks System Act of 1981. It is the strictest designation of all categories within the country's national protected areas system, with no extractive use or tourism access permitted. Permits are required to enter the area and are restricted to researchers only. The nature reserves are under the authority of the Forest Department.
The oldest of these, Bladen Nature Reserve, forms the centrepiece of the Maya Mountains biological corridor, and is considered one of the most biodiversity-rich, and topographically unique areas within the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot.
+ List of nature reserves Reserve District Size(ha) Size(acres) IUCN Co-management Est. Description Bladen Toledo Ia Ya’axché Conservation Trust; Bladen Management Consortium 1990 Burdon Canal Belize Ia — 1992 Tapir Mountain Cayo Ia Belize Audubon Society 1994 Formerly known as Society Hall Nature Reserve.
Wildlife sanctuaries