Belize is grappling with underwhelming cruise arrivals, but tourism authorities remain optimistic about future prospects. Evan Tillett, the Director of Tourism, acknowledges that while current numbers are still low, they are showing improvement compared to 2024. A significant hurdle has been the absence of a mainland docking facility, which forces larger cruise ships to bypass Belize entirely. However, this issue is being addressed with a port development project currently underway. Additionally, the cruise industry is shifting toward smaller, high-value ships, which could further enhance Belize’s appeal. Tillett emphasized that these changes are expected to boost cruise tourism in the coming years. Meanwhile, the government is also cracking down on unregistered Airbnb properties to ensure fair contributions to tourism development. Tillett highlighted that increased revenue from these efforts will be reinvested in infrastructure, product development, and marketing, ultimately attracting more visitors to the destination.