Belize Tourism Board

What Belize Tourism Board does

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is a statutory body under Belize's Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Transportation, established and governed by the Belize Tourism Board Act, Chapter 275 of the Laws of Belize. Its mandate spans destination marketing, industry regulation, training, and sustainable tourism planning for the country. BTB serves three principal constituencies: (i) international visitors and travel trade buyers seeking destination information; (ii) licensed tourism operators — hotels, tour guides, and tour operators — that it regulates and taxes; and (iii) Government of Belize stakeholders for whom BTB acts as the executing arm for tourism policy.

BTB's product surface is institutional rather than commercial. Core operational assets include the Travel Belize consumer website, a Travel Trade Portal, the BTB Online Portal (a digital licensing and stakeholder database), the Elevate Training Institute, and the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP) 2030. Regulatory and revenue mechanics rest on a 9% Tourist Accommodation Tax and licensing fees, with fiscal year 2025-2026 budget disclosure of approximately BZ$8.8 million (US$4.4M equivalent) in total expenditure. International marketing is executed through FCCA platinum membership, Virtuoso partnerships, and active engagement with Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), and Belize Hotel Association (BHA) / Belize Tourism Association (BTA).

Name

Belize Tourism Board

Legal name

Belize Tourism Board

Website

https://belizetourismboard.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Belize Tourism Board is a statutory government body that regulates, markets, and develops Belize's tourism sector — licensing hotels and tour operators, collecting a 9% accommodation tax, and promoting the country internationally through the Travel Belize brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Governance & Destination Marketing

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel Policy Design, Governance & Compliance (THACAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL), Tour/Activities/Attractions Reservation Systems (THALADAG)

Keywords

• Tourism governance
• Destination marketing
• Hospitality licensing
• Tour operator regulation
• Sustainable tourism planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Belize City

HQ country

Belize

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourist Accommodation Tax Collection: The Belize Tourism Board is legislated to collect and manage a 9% tourist accommodation tax from hotels and tourist accommodations on behalf of the Government of Belize. This tax is used to fulfill BTB's mandated operations for sustaining, marketing, and developing Belize's tourism industry.
2. Hotel and Tourism Licensing Fees: Annual license fees for hotels and tourist accommodations, including a base fee plus per-room charges. Fees support the regulatory and compliance functions of the organization.
3. Training and Certification Services: Revenue generation through the Elevate Training Institute, offering certified professional development courses and programs in hospitality, lodging, and culinary arts under internationally recognized institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Belize Tourism Board is the legislated statutory body that governs, enhances, and promotes Belize's tourism industry. It administers licensing and regulation of hotels, tour operators, and tour guides; collects a 9% tourist accommodation tax to fund tourism operations; delivers destination marketing domestically and internationally; runs the Elevate Training Institute for hospitality and culinary certification; manages the Qualified Retirement Program; and oversees cruise tourism, the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan, and tourism data analytics.

Product overview

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is a statutory government body that serves as the governing and promotional authority for Belize's tourism industry. The organization operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of: (1) the BTB Online Portal for licensing and payments; (2) the Travel Belize Website for tourism marketing; (3) the Tourism Asset Inventory for cataloging tourism sites; (4) Elevate Training Institute for professional development; and (5) regulatory services for hotels, tour guides, and tour operators. Additional services include cruise and destination management, the Qualified Retirement Program (QRP), digital marketing services, travel publications, National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan implementation, tourism security, accelerator programs, signature events (Taste of Belize, Digital Marketing Summit, Industry Conference), National Tourism Awards, Frontline Hero Award, Sargassum Resource Management, and Tour Guide Training. These products and services collectively support licensing compliance, industry development, marketing promotion, training certification, and sustainable tourism planning across Belize.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BTB Online Portal Online portal for tourism stakeholders to submit license applications, make payments, access real-time account information, and manage accommodation, tour guide, and tour operator licensing.
• Travel Belize Website Official tourism marketing platform (TravelBelize.org) providing travel information, destination guides, and resources for tourists planning visits to Belize.
• Tourism Asset Inventory A comprehensive inventory system for cataloging all tourism sites and assets across Belize regions, enabling stakeholders to identify available tourism products and linking tourists with tour operators.
• Elevate Training Institute Belize's premier tourism training hub offering certified professional development courses and programs in hospitality, lodging, culinary arts, tour guiding, flats fishing, diving, and birding, under auspices of AHLEI and the American Culinary Federation.
• Hotel & Tourist Accommodation Licensing Registration and licensing services for hotels and tourist accommodations ensuring compliance with minimum standards under the Hotels and Tourist Accommodation Act, Chapter 285 of the Laws of Belize.
• Tour Guide Licensing Certification and licensing program for tour guides regulated under the Belize Tourism Board (Tour Guide) Regulations, ensuring professional standards and visitor safety.
• Tour Operator Licensing Licensing and regulatory services for tour operators governed by the Belize Tourism Board (Tour Operator) Regulations to maintain industry quality and sustainability.
• Cruise & Destination Management Oversight and management of Belize's cruise tourism sector including port management, industry relations, cruise tourism development, visitor experience enhancement, and data collection and analytics.
• Qualified Retirement Program (QRP) A residency program offering flexible residency options for individuals meeting retirement income requirements, including import duty exemptions, tax benefits, and business investment opportunities.
• Tour Guide Training Specialized training and certification programs for tour guides to maintain professional standards in Belize's tourism industry.
• Tourism Accelerator Program Program supporting the development and growth of tourism-related businesses and entrepreneurs in Belize.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustainable Tourism Conference with over 360 attendees from 29 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• BELTRAIDEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Belize Tourism Board and BELTRAIDE signed a Memorandum of Agreement to strengthen tourism investment collaboration, announced March 2026.
• DFC (Development Finance Corporation)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2025BTB and DFC signed Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen tourism sector in Belize, signed March 2025.
• University of BelizecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2022BTB signed agreement with University of Belize to update the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan.
• Sound DiplomacyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Belize Tourism Board partnered with global music strategy leaders including Sound Diplomacy to develop a Music, Entertainment, and Cultural Industries Strategy for Belize.
• FCCA (Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCCA is a cruise association that provides a forum for discussions on cruise-related development and implementation initiatives. As one of the top cruise destinations within this region, Belize continues to evolve to meet the demands for a sustainable tourism destination.
• SITCA (Secretariat of Central American Tourism Integration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSITCA executes the directives of the Central American Integration System (SICA) for the economic, social, democratic, and sustainable development of Central America. BTB works in unison to ensure necessary measures are taken to enhance Belize's tourism sector.
• CATA (Central American Tourism Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATA is the official agency in charge of international promotion and positioning of the Central American Region as a multi-destination. As a member, Belize is intimately involved in regional tourism-related business development and cohesion.
• CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder the CTO umbrella, marketing the Caribbean as an appealing tourist region is at the forefront. Areas of importance include Tourism & Health initiatives, Sustainability, Research and Quality Assurance.
• BCCI (Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCCI is the facilitating body for the best local and foreign investments in respects to business opportunities and development of services in tourism, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, forestry and others.
• VirtuosomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtuoso is a prestigious network known to have the top luxury travel agencies with more than 17,500 advisors across the globe representing the top choices in travel from hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, among others.
• National Institute of Culture & History (NICH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTB collaborates closely with NICH to ensure cohesive management of the Belize tourism industry, particularly for cultural and historical tourism assets.
• Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTB works in partnership with BTIA for cohesive management of the Belize tourism industry.
• Belize Hotel Association (BHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTB collaborates with BHA for cohesive management of the Belize tourism industry, with BHA representatives on the Board of Directors.
• Sargassum Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder task force co-chaired by Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations and Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management, including Department of Environment, National Meteorological Service, Network of NGOs, Fisheries Department, University of Belize, Belize Port Authority, and local government representatives.
• American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute (AHLEI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElevate Training Institute offers certified professional development short courses and programs in hospitality and lodging under the auspices of AHLEI.
• American Culinary Federation (ACF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElevate Training Institute offers certified culinary training under the auspices of the American Culinary Federation. BTB secured ACF Property Membership and launched Culinary Certification Program.
• Belize Customs and Excise DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTB and Belize Customs and Excise Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding as part of Nautical Tourism Development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hawaii Tourism Authority: State tourism authority for Hawaii with a much larger budget and broader scope, but analogous statutory destination marketing and stakeholder governance model. Useful benchmark for institutional tourism authority scale.

Others

• Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA): Regional umbrella organization for Caribbean hotel and tourism associations. Adjacent to BTB's role — comparable in coordinating private-sector tourism stakeholders but at the regional rather than national level.

Direct peers

• Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. Statutory national tourism authority for Barbados with similar destination marketing, licensing, and stakeholder development functions. Comparable as a small-island Caribbean destination marketing organization.
• Jamaica Tourism Board: National tourism board of Jamaica with comparable mandate to govern, promote, and license tourism stakeholders for a Caribbean destination. Directly comparable as a statutory destination marketing and regulatory body competing in the same Caribbean tourist market.
• Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT): Costa Rica's national tourism board and a fellow SITCA/CATA member. Highly comparable as a Central American destination-marketing and regulatory authority, with comparable sustainability positioning and eco-tourism emphasis.
• Discover Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico's destination marketing organization with similar mandate to promote a Caribbean destination and drive inbound demand. Comparable in DMO functions and Caribbean market overlap.
• Cayman Islands Department of Tourism: Government tourism authority for the Cayman Islands, performing destination promotion, licensing, and cruise sector oversight. Comparable as a small Caribbean destination tourism board.
• Aruba Tourism Authority: National tourism authority for Aruba performing destination marketing and stakeholder licensing. Comparable as a small Caribbean destination management organization with similar regulatory scope.
• Visit Panama (ATP): Panama's national tourism authority promoting a Central American destination with overlapping regional partnerships (CATA, SITCA). Comparable as a fellow Central American DMO.
• Bahamas Ministry of Tourism: Government tourism authority for The Bahamas, performing destination promotion, licensing, and tourism policy functions analogous to BTB. Highly comparable in mandate, regulatory scope, and Caribbean market positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BelizeTourism
• Facebookfacebook.com/BelizeTourismBoard
• Instagraminstagram.com/belizetourism
• Pinterestpinterest.com/belizetourism
• TikToktiktok.com/@belizetourism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belize-tourism-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Belize Tourism Board