Every year, the esteemed travel publisher National Geographic unveils its recommendations for the top “must go” destinations in the upcoming year, and Belize was included for the first time ever on their 2019 list.
The editors of National Geographic declared Belize a “must go” eco-tourism destination as a way to reward the Belizean government’s proactive efforts to protect the environment. Just this year, the government turned down lucrative petroleum contracts and imposed a complete ban on all offshore drilling. And the Belize Cabinet pledged to phase out all single-use plastic by Earth Day 2019.
National Geographic also gave high marks for recent steps to protect mangrove forests and the creation of new wilderness corridors to help preserve the environment on the mainland as well. And all this hard work has paid off as the offshore reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, was removed from the “endangered” list. The reef is now divided into marine reserves and national parks where fishing and other activities are heavily regulated. National Geographic also mentioned other places to visit in Belize besides the reef, including the colossal city of Caracol built by the ancient Maya more than 3,000 years ago.
This highly coveted recommendation from National Geographic is just part of the flood of positive articles about visiting Belize from top publishers like Lonely Planet, Fodors, and the New York Times’ travel section. Indeed, Lonely Planet rated Belize as a top 10 destination in Belize, and the Discovery Channel will be hosting a live broadcast from the Belize Barrier Reef on December 2, 2018.
And Belize is ready to welcome new visitors. 2018 saw a flurry of new agreements with airlines like COPA, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Southwest, and Sun Country for non-stop flights to Belize from destinations such as Mexico City, Toronto, Ft. Lauderdale, Denver, and Minneapolis. All seven of the largest airlines in North America now have non-stop flights to Belize as well as flag carriers from several Central American nations.
“Belize is a wonderful place to visit thanks to its biodiversity and natural beauty,” said Larry France, marketing manager of Chabil Mar. “We are delighted to be included on National Geographic’s must-go destinations for 2019 as this will give more travelers the opportunity to discover Belize.”
Chabil Mar is an award-winning resort located on the Placencia Peninsula close to all of the top attractions on both the mainland and the reef.
For more information about visiting Belize, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.
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