Good morning, Belize. The cruise season’s middle stretch always brings the same risk, and this week the risk made the news.
Caribbean Princess norovirus outbreak: Belize watching closely
The CDC reported Friday that 102 of 3,116 passengers and 13 of 1,131 crew aboard the Caribbean Princess have reported gastrointestinal illness on a 13-day Caribbean voyage that has not, in this case, included a Belizean port. The vessel departed Port Everglades on April 28 and is set to dock at Port Canaveral on May 11. The reminder for the Belize Tourism Board: a previous outbreak on the Star Princess in March did include the Belize City stop. Cruise health protocols and the country’s reputation as a clean stop are tied together more closely than the visiting passengers ever notice.
National Tourism Security Strategy continues to roll out
The Belize Tourism Board’s National Tourism Security Strategy and its emphasis on public-private partnerships continues. The strategy prioritises community-based initiatives over large trade fairs, which is the stated reason no major trade events are scheduled for 2026. Whether that focus is the right call as regional competitors host trade fairs is an argument for the next budget cycle.
Cycling and the regional sports calendar
The Caribbean cycling calendar continues to develop, and Belize has athletes in conversation with regional federations. The Cayman and Reggae marathons later in the year will draw Belizean entries. The athletes are training in conditions that are not ideal but are not bad either.
Mother’s Day
Sunday is Mother’s Day. In Belize City, in San Ignacio, in Punta Gorda, the celebrations look different and the love is the same. The bakeries opened early this morning. The flowers are already on the road.
— Tradewinds Brief Newsroom