Author: Chabil Mar Manager

While Belize has been reliable at restricting the transmission of COVID-19, this vigilance has paid off with slowly peeling away layers of safety and restrictions on what visitors can do, let alone come into the country. The newest information is that major airlines have been able to fly out to the country since the Philip Goldson International reopened on October 1st.

Belize recently lowered its international travel restrictions, expanding the “Tourism Safe Corridor” and now allowing car rentals as a viable means of transportation, meaning visitors are free to rent a car from the airport. This expanded freedom comes with the stipulation that travelers submit their itinerary and accept GPS tracking. Furthermore, restaurants with adequate square footage can serve more than 10 persons so long as social distancing is obeyed. This ten-person limit extends to reservations. Lastly, visitors are now free to vacation within the Tourism Safe Corridor, rather than remain on the premises of their Gold Standard hotel, with the exceptions of tours and activities.

American Airlines began flying into Belize on October 1st. Anyone looking to enter the country through an American Airlines flight can do so between the days of Thursday and Monday. While a flight coming from Miami only takes around 2 hours and 10 minutes to arrive, the return trip is closer to 4 hours, allowing plenty of time to reflect on your Belize vacation experience.

United Airlines (UA) began flying to Belize a day later, on October 2nd. UA flies to Belize between Friday and Sunday. A flight out to Belize from Houston’s George Bush International is roughly 2 hours and 28 minutes but a flight back only takes around 3.5 hours.

Avianca Airlines will begin flying to Belize on October 28th and flies every day of the week but Tuesdays and Sundays. Flights between Belize and El Salvador International take only around 90 minutes, either way.

If your aviation loyalties lie elsewhere, Delta Airlines will begin flying to Belize in the third week of November, Southwest Airlines will return service between December and January. While Sun Country and COPA Airlines will be resuming service, there has been no announcement of when.

If you have been wanting to visit Belize but were not sure of where to look, consider Placencia Village, Belize’s top beach destination. Since you will need to coordinate your trip with a Gold Standard hotel, Chabil Mar happens to be one of the best in Placencia, as well as Belize.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll-Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

COVID-19 has affected the world in a variety of ways. One way that Belize has managed to keep the pandemic in check is with its own health app. Anyone looking to come to this beautiful country is required to install and use this specific app before they will even be allowed to enter the country.

What Is This App?

The Belize Health App is the first line of defense against contamination from COVID-19 or any other major health hazards. If you are interested in flying into Belize, you must fill out all of your information no sooner than 72 hours prior to your flight. The required information includes taking a test for COVID-19 and having a “negative” result. This also allows you to use the express lane at the airport. It does not matter what country you come from or which nationality you claim, everyone coming to Belize is required to have the app. Fortunately, the app is available on both Google Play and the Apple store and can run on any Apple device that runs iOS 10.0 or higher.

Why Do I Need It?

The primary purpose of the app is to enable contact tracing. Every user receives a unique QR code that helps the Belize government keep tabs on the health of every incoming and outgoing visitor to the country. The most immediate benefit of the app is that prior evidence of taking a test and proving negative will expedite your time spent at the Philip Goldson International Airport. Because the app is used to track and monitor you, you must perform a daily check-in of your health and this will require you to be near the sort of internet access available to anyone foreign visitor staying at a gold star resort like Chabil Mar. All of the specifics regarding check-in details are covered by the app as you fill it in.

What If I Lack a Smartphone?

While the app is available on any Apple and Android device, Belize understands that not everyone is up to date with technology. In the event that you lack any relevant device, you will have to fill out digital forms through the Belize Department of Health.

One of the first steps foreign visitors must take is to book with a gold star hotel. If you are unsure where to stay, consider Chabil Mar. Chabil Mar offers premium accommodations and guest-exclusive amenities on the Placencia Peninsula. 

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Placencia Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning your Belize vacation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of a Polyclinic for Placencia Village has been signed by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Placencia Village Council (PVC).

The 5,650 sq feet Polyclinic will include 4 consultation rooms, reception and registration areas, 2 waiting rooms, an asthma bay, pharmacy, 2 triage rooms, a laboratory, shock/trauma rooms, and more, in order to be able to provide the highest level of service to patients.

The Placencia Village Council will provide the land for the construction of the facility; the MOH will provide the technical requirements, staff, and management of the polyclinic; and the BTB will develop the terms of reference for the tendering procedure and manage the disbursement of funds with guidance from MOH.

The project is estimated to cost $1.6 million dollars and will be financed by the Tourism Development Funds established for the destination.

The organizations note that the funds resulted from mutual agreements and collaboration between the Government of Belize, Norweigan Cruise Lines (NCL), Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), and BTB, with the aim to develop sustainable management of tourism sites, community, sanitation, health, and security infrastructure.

Placencia, located on the southern coast of Belize, is one of Belize’s leading tourism destinations.

Prior to the emergence of COVID-19, Placencia experienced rapid tourism growth, welcoming 66,738 overnight visitors and 374,894 cruise passengers via Harvest Caye in 2019. These visitor arrivals had a direct impact on the demand for health services, thereby influencing guests’ experience.

As a result, BTB launched an initiative to construct an appropriate medical facility for both residents and visitors; the facility is also a means of fortifying the sound development of tourism in the area, particularly with the ‘new norm’ of increased focus on high standards of health and safety.

 “The Placencia Village Council supports this development which will hugely benefit our villagers, especially in health,” said Chairlady, Ilsa Villanueva.

Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia Jr, has also expressed his support of this project, stating, “The Placencia Polyclinic offers us the best of options because on one hand it will provide essential health services to Placencia residents during this critical juncture for the country, and on the other, it will contribute to the development of Placencia as a healthy, safe and visitor-friendly destination.”

Director of Tourism, Karen Bevans, signed on behalf of the BTB while Chief Executive Officer, Dr. George Gough, and Chairlady Ilsa Villanueva signed on behalf of MOH and the PVC respectively.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Placencia Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning your Belize vacation.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) took the unprecedented step of drawing up guidelines based on international health organization recommendations to ensure guest safety and wellbeing, establishing a coveted designation to which every resort, hotel, and tour organization aspires: Gold Standard Certification.

This is no toothless program and not every property has been able to meet the stringent criteria associated with receiving this designation. That is the reason staff and management at Chabil Mar Resort on the Placencia peninsula were elated to receive notification that the resort had been approved by the BTB.

“This 9-point program went through a rigorous vetting process approved by the Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation and other authorities associated with our Coronavirus response efforts,” explained Chabil Mar Marketing Manager, Larry France. “In order to comply with rigorous Gold Standard Certification protocols, staff received extensive training in all aspects of hygiene, cleaning, and social distancing protocols.”

Tourists arriving in Belize once Chabil Mar re-opens on October 15, 2020, can expect to encounter state-of-the-art health practices that include reconfiguration of space to allow for social distancing, unprecedented disinfection practices that include sanitation stations throughout the resort, and contact-less check-in and check-out procedures to further ensure guest health and safety.

“I believe that our staff training directives meet and exceed guidelines,” added France. “To make certain these assurances are spelled out in language guests understand, we listed all of these changes our website to explain every step we are taking to make sure visitors enjoy a stress-free vacation.”

“And we are still offering reassurances in the form of our cancellation policies plus discounted packages and specials that travelers in desperate need of vacations are going to find compelling and inviting! We have already begun to take reservations in advance of our October 15th re-opening,” he says.

“Chabil Mar stands ready to offer guests the ultimate respite from care and worry. From beautiful accommodations and fine dining to the amenities visitors have come to expect from this award-winning property, adding all of these safety measures adds to the welcoming environment for which we were already known,” notes France. “Things may look a little different, but nothing about the amazing tours, recreational opportunities, and stunning beauty enjoyed at our stunning resort has changed one iota!”

“Chabil Mar is the only full-service resort, including on-sight restaurant service, property amenities, and bar on the Placencia Peninsula and in the Village, reserved for the exclusive use of guests. Guest Exclusivity has been our policy since the day we opened our gates13 years ago and, of course, continues on. This is sure to please those who value their privacy and safety while desiring personalized service during their Belize vacation.”

A privately owned and held resort located in the Stann Creek District of Belize, Chabil Mar opened its doors in 2005 and has since enjoyed an international reputation. Historically, Chabil Mar — Maya for “Beautiful Sea” — is nestled between a Garifuna settlement and the former Creole fishing village of Placencia and in close proximity to ancient Maya ruins, rainforests, jungles, and the best scuba and deep-water diving in the Caribbean. For more resort information visit the website or call 011 (501) 523–3606. If calling from the U.S. or Canada, use Chabil Mar’s toll-free number: 1-866-417-2377.