Identification of climate compatible tourism adaptation options for Belize

This report outlines the economic significance of the tourism industry in Belize, its reliance on natural assets like the Belize Barrier Reef, and the systemic challenges facing the sector that are exacerbated by climate change.

• Tourism is a critical component of the Belizean economy, with various assessments estimating its contribution to the total GDP between 18% and 25% and its share of total employment at approximately 28%. In 2012, the total contribution to GDP was estimated at 34%, representing an injection of approximately BZD567 Million into the economy.
• Belize's tourism sector is primarily based on culture and eco-tourism, relying heavily on natural assets. Specifically, the Belize Barrier Reef and coastal zone support diving and snorkelling, activities sought by 80% of visitors.
• The National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan of Belize 2011 identified several challenges to the tourism industry that are worsened by climate change, including poor land accessibility due to limited paved roads, inadequate natural asset management, insufficient sewage and waste disposal systems, a lack of urban land planning leading to beach erosion and land use conflict, and a lack of public awareness regarding the sustainable use of rainforests, national parks, and the reef.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). Identification of climate compatible tourism adaptation options for Belize. https://cdkn.org/resource/report-identification-climate-compatible-tourism-adaptation-options-belize

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Identification of climate compatible tourism adaptation options for Belize. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/report-identification-climate-compatible-tourism-adaptation-options-belize.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Identification of climate compatible tourism adaptation options for Belize |date=27 January 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/report-identification-climate-compatible-tourism-adaptation-options-belize |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017identification, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Identification of climate compatible tourism adaptation options for Belize}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = jan, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/report-identification-climate-compatible-tourism-adaptation-options-belize}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }