Key West to Belize

[geozeck]

Final Note on the check in to Belize. With all the discussion of the entry to San Pedro and knowledgeable people like Sailorman advising us to think twice before we enter there, part of my check-in fee was $120 US for navigational aids. The nav aids I encountered was one yellow buoy at SP and sticks in the ground from SP to Belize City.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by geozeck

Final Note on the check in to Belize. With all the discussion of the entry to San Pedro and knowledgeable people like Sailorman advising us to think twice before we enter there, part of my check-in fee was $120 US for navigational aids. The nav aids I encountered was one yellow buoy at SP and sticks in the ground from SP to Belize City.

Yeah, you got stuck on that one, its not a normal BZ fee.

[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by geozeck

Final Note on the check in to Belize. With all the discussion of the entry to San Pedro and knowledgeable people like Sailorman advising us to think twice before we enter there, part of my check-in fee was $120 US for navigational aids. The nav aids I encountered was one yellow buoy at SP and sticks in the ground from SP to Belize City.

Just checked into Belize at Big Creek this week and it appears that Belize Port Authority (BPA) are again hitting on the cruisers who are Marine Tourists.

They have “revised” their charges by going back to the charges outlined in an act of Parliament aimed at setting fees for commercial shipping.

This means that the longer you stay the more you have to pay. Go figure, a good way to encourage Marine Tourism and impact the time you are there supporting the local businesses !!!!!

They tried this a few years ago and after adverse internet postings, compromised by offering a 3 month cruising permit at a reasonable price, sadly since withdrawn, or a reduced daily charges of BZ$5.00 per day

Well, now BPA have put in place a 100% increase in the daily rates, the new rate is BZ$10.00 per day, this is on top of the BZ$102.00 you now have to pay BPA to check in.

So what does this mean in practice?

If you have an 8 ton boat and want to stay for 90 days (the maximum time Customs will allow you to keep your boat in Belize) you will be paying BPA a total of BZ$982.00 or BZ11.00 per day.

I guess the other question to ask is what do us cruisers get for this money?

Other charges to Customs, immigration and BAHA appear to have remained at the same, reasonable levels

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Triumphant

Just checked into Belize at Big Creek this week and it appears that Belize Port Authority (BPA) are again hitting on the cruisers who are Marine Tourists.

They have “revised” their charges by going back to the charges outlined in an act of Parliament aimed at setting fees for commercial shipping.

This means that the longer you stay the more you have to pay. Go figure, a good way to encourage Marine Tourism and impact the time you are there supporting the local businesses !!!!!

They tried this a few years ago and after adverse internet postings, compromised by offering a 3 month cruising permit at a reasonable price, sadly since withdrawn, or a reduced daily charges of BZ$5.00 per day

Well, now BPA have put in place a 100% increase in the daily rates, the new rate is BZ$10.00 per day, this is on top of the BZ$102.00 you now have to pay BPA to check in.

So what does this mean in practice?

If you have an 8 ton boat and want to stay for 90 days (the maximum time Customs will allow you to keep your boat in Belize) you will be paying BPA a total of BZ$982.00 or BZ11.00 per day.

I guess the other question to ask is what do us cruisers get for this money?

Other charges to Customs, immigration and BAHA appear to have remained at the same, reasonable levels

Triumphant,
Very informative post. And, since you have already checked in and have spoken with the officials, do you know why they raised the fees? Do you think this practice will increase tourism in Belize? Does the government believe that by making it more expensive and difficult to visit their country that they will see increased tourist revenues? $300. per month plus marina fees(for some) and tourist dollars spent in the local economies? I think some cruisers will choose to spend their money elsewhere.

[Triumphant]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Triumphant,
Very informative post. And, since you have already checked in and have spoken with the officials, do you know why they raised the fees?

The officials are civil servants and follow the directions from their management who are also civil servants, in my option, the only way to get the rules reviewed is to try and influence the businesses of Belize to be vocal and apply pressure on the politicians who make the laws

I was not given any reasons as to why but do know that now they are in line with the act of parliament covering this area of which I have a copy. I am told that there is a relativity new head of the BPA who is trying to be safe and follow the “rules”

Originally Posted by rognvald

Do you think this practice will increase tourism in Belize? Does the government believe that by making it more expensive and difficult to visit their country that they will see increased tourist revenues?

It will have the opposite effect on the marine Leisure industry but unfortunately the current government seems to be more focused on increasing Tour Ship revenues and is ignoring the Marine Leisure market.

The last time we went through this cycle a few years ago, the number of cruisers visiting Belize dropped dramatically and has still not recovered to the levels seen 4 to 5 years ago. Speak to any business on the sea front in Placencia

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Triumphant,
Very informative post. And, since you have already checked in and have spoken with the officials, do you know why they raised the fees? Do you think this practice will increase tourism in Belize? Does the government believe that by making it more expensive and difficult to visit their country that they will see increased tourist revenues? $300. per month plus marina fees(for some) and tourist dollars spent in the local economies? I think some cruisers will choose to spend their money elsewhere.

Ah, you are making a common mistake...assuming that rational thought and forethought had something to do with these decisions...not the way it works in Belize.