Belize Sailing Vacations Prepares for Reopening

UPDATE: Belize has postponed the planned opening of the International Airport scheduled for August 15th and is now reopening on October 1st.

Belize plans to open the international airport to tourism on August 15th and has implemented enhanced health and safety protocols pre-arrival, during the arrival process and while in-country. In order for tourism establishments to open, “Gold Standard Recognition” certification is required and we are finalizing our preparations to achieve the certification and to open, safely, in line with these stringent requirements.

September and October are the peak of storm season in the Caribbean and as such, we plan to open in late October. In the meantime, we will be focusing on extra training for our crew and operations teams in enhanced sanitary protocols to ensure we continue to deliver the 5-star service we are known for at the same time as ensuring everyone’s safety.

We are all looking forward to welcoming you to Belize when it is safe and viable to do so and wanted to share some guidelines to help you prepare for your trip.

Before Your Visit:

• Download the Belize Health App and complete the required information prior to boarding the flight to Belize. A QR code with a unique ID number will be returned to you, and will be used for contact tracing while in Belize.
• We encourage you to take a Covid-19 PCR test within 72 hours of travel to Belize, as a negative result will allow for a ‘fast track’ arrival process.

On Arrival in Belize:

• You will disembark the plane – wearing a face mask – and proceed to health screening.
• If you brought along your negative COVID-19 PCR test, you will proceed to the ‘fast track’ lane for Immigration & Customs processing. Depending on your health screening, you may be randomly selected for secondary testing.
• If you were unable to bring the results of a PCR test, you must proceed to the testing area where you’ll be required to take a COVID rapid test. Testing is at the passengers’ expense and costs US$50.00. Test results may take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to be processed.
• A negative test result will allow for you to enter into the Immigration and Customs area for processing.
• If your test result is positive, health officials will isolate you and you will be transferred to an approved hotel for a minimum 14-day mandatory quarantine, at your expense.

During your Stay in Belize:

• While in country facemasks are mandatory in all public spaces, and you’re advised to practice social distancing and proper hand hygiene, to protect yourself and others you come in contact with.
• During this initial phase, visitors to Belize will remain on the hotel/resort property or in your case your all inclusive catamaran for sailing, eating, drinking and socializing. We of course offer full-service amenities with restaurant and ship’s bar, plus your captain is also your tour guide to take you on multiple snorkel excursions, visiting uninhabited islands, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and more. Rendezvous diving can be arranged with Gold Standard Tour Operators
• We want you to see and do as much of the local activities in our beautiful country, during your visit. Guests will only be allowed to explore with pre-arranged guided tours with an approved Gold Standard Tour Operator.  Please let us know what you’re interested in doing and seeing while in country and we can arrange this for you.

For more information on the new destination protocols and frequently asked questions, please visit: https://www.travelbelize.org/health-safety. You can also view our internal health and safety policies and procedures here: https://belizesailingvacations.com/covid-19/

Thank you for choosing Belize Sailing Vacations and we look forward to having you sailing with us!