Marriott Partnership Announced and Southwest Airlines Seat Sale or is it?

An airfare sale is not always a sale or the cost of getting a cheap flight is being time flexible, like my incoming company. My friend’s daughter Sandra was willing to do a 19-hour layover in order to save big on her Belize flight – $319 Canadian return. As for the long layover, she worked out Texas with my cousin (her other “mother”) to do a short visit.

When a Flight Sale is Not a Sale

Sometimes we get excited to get an email that shows “$49.00 one-way” only to be disappointed when the destination we want to go to is either not included, only for very specific dates, or not as low as you’d thought. No matter where you find your deal, it is always good to do a fast comparison check directly with the carrier.

A Southwest Airlines sale came across my radar this morning and Belize is one of the handful of international destinations that made the Southwest Airfare Sale list. Already knowing that Belize would not qualify for a $49 deal, I was still hopeful the sale would be a good one. I had my editor Shirlee check while I was working out with my Have Fun Stay Fit trainer Sarah and the italicized parts are her two cents. At first glance “$128.00” one-way (May 27) is still a great deal, but the return might not be as cheap. Booking must, however, be done by 11:59 April 26, 2018, and travel dates are very specific. This could be a good option for those looking for a reasonable flight price in June for the 11th annual San Pedro Lobster Festival.

All in all, Southwest is still overall consistently showing the cheapest flights to Belize, throughout the entire summer. Let’s hope that continues into the high season 🙂

If the semi-sale above does not apply to you, click through ton the following options for cheap flight finders: Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Momondo are all good options to check occasionally. 

Don’t forget to use Code For A Cause horizon when you book your Tropic Air Flights. At no extra cost to you, you will be making a contribution towards a Hematology Analyzer for the Poly Clinic. 

Marriott Partnership Announced

Recently a beachside celebration was held in honor of the Marriott joining with Exotic Caye International Development (ECI) and the long-awaited revamp of Exotic Caye Beach Resort. I was unable to attend last minute however Shirlee went to the event and did the brief write up below about the new development. I was glad to read they are implementing cisterns to help minimize their effect on the already overstressed water system. I hope they will include recycling too now that it is becoming an option on the island. I realize change is inevitable but if people continue to build and not do it environmentally soundly or “by the book” then it does no one any good and continues to take away the charm of the island.

ECI Joins Hands With Marriott

ECI has been working on the plan to redevelop the property for a number of years. The billboard across from Roadkill had the artist rendering of the finished product, so it should not be a surprise to anyone. The Marriott name will “open doors” the development may not have seen before. Grand Baymen Villas, LLC and Exotic Caye Beach Resort Limited use the Marriott marks under a license from Marriott.

While the reaction across the country was mostly positive, questions have arisen about long-term sustainability and the impact on the environment. ECI is a well-established development firm and is very conscious of their environmental impact. As a small example of this: The new facility will include large cisterns for the collection of rainwater and city water in low demand hours, to be used in peak times. Having gone through what the island experienced recently with the water supply, that in itself, is huge.

As for sustainability, there are over 380,000 people living in Belize now, and upwards of 160,000 are 19 years old or younger. Tourism is the country’s #1 income generator, and San Pedro is at the hub of that. This project will employ hundreds of construction workers, then once it is operational, it will require literally hundreds of staff.

The addition of Panamanian and Canadian Airlines has tourism is growing at the rate of around 10% per year.  People love Belize, and they all need places to stay when visiting.

Southwest Airlines photo courtesy of Milled.com