While the Central American nation bordered by Mexico to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the east is home to a permanent population of just 410,000 people, Belize saw the same number of international arrivals in 2023.
As Belize is not nearly as popular among U.S.-based beach-hunters as neighboring Mexico, the majority of those who do make it to the country known for natural wonders such as its barrier reef and Great Blue Hole come either on cruise lines like Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean (RCL) or as part of a wider tour of the Caribbean.
Even so, tourism to the country rose by nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.
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‘Travelers are advised to exercise caution’: U.S. State Department
In a reviewed travel advisory that it published at the end of December, the U.S. State Department kept Belize’s ranking at level two’s “exercise increased caution” but reiterated the need to remain vigilant due to heightened levels of crime.
“Due to high crime, travelers are advised to exercise caution while traveling to the south side of Belize City,” reads the updated advisory. “Local police lack the resources and training to respond effectively to serious crimes. Most crimes remain unresolved and unprosecuted.”
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The rating, which lands second on a four-tier system in which the highest is reserved for authoritarian governments and war zones, puts Belize in the same category as nearby Mexico and European countries such as Germany and France — in the latter two cases due to the risk of terrorist attacks in their capital cities.
In the case of Belize, the rating is heightened to level three’s “reconsider travel” for Belize City. The majority of tourists staying for longer than a cruise ship stop come not to the capital but resort towns such as Placencia and San Ignacio.
Travel advisory: ‘This area does not overlap with the typical tourism areas’
“Historically much of the violent crime in Belize occurs in the Southside of Belize City and is gang related,” the advisory reads further. “This area (south of Haulover Creek Canal and continuing south to Fabers Road) does not overlap with the typical tourism areas.”
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As part of the periodic reviews of commonly-visited nations conducted every month and at the end of the year in particular, the State Department also issued a new advisory for Belize’s neighbor to the west: fellow Central American nation Guatemala.
In the latter’s case, the renewed advisory focuses on specific areas that “have problems with gangs, robbery, carjacking, drug trafficking and violence.” The nation is at a higher “reconsider travel” rating due to the crime rates and position as a throughway for drug traffickers moving from Central America northward to the United States.
It is also significantly more popular as a cruise ship stop rather than a standalone destination; the majority of international arrivals come for a short visit through the Puerto Quetzal port.
“Local law enforcement may not always respond well to serious crimes, leading to low arrest and conviction rates,” the travel advisory reads. “While tourists are not usually targeted, they can still be victims of opportunistic crimes.”
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