By Zoila Palma: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is strongly opposing the proposed increase in Belize’s hotel accommodation tax from 9% to 12%, warning that the measure could make the country less competitive as a tourism destination.
The UDP says that the proposed increase as a 33% hike could place additional pressure on hotels and visitors at a time when travelers are increasingly comparing destinations based on affordability.
The UDP argues that higher accommodation costs could influence tourists to shorten their stays, select cheaper lodging options, reduce spending on restaurants and activities, or choose other destinations altogether.
“The effect is simple: price yourself out of the market, and you lose the market,” the UDP said.
According to the Opposition, the potential impact would extend beyond hotels to tour operators, restaurants, tour guides, transportation providers, water taxi operators, local airlines, artisans, farmers and small businesses that depend on visitor spending.
In addition, the UDP called on the Belize Tourism Board to provide greater transparency and publicly release the economic analysis supporting the proposed tax increase, including its expected impact on visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy, length of stay and tourist spending.
“This is not economic growth. It is economic extraction,” the UDP stated.
The UDP is calling on the government to abandon the proposed increase and engage tourism stakeholders in meaningful consultations before making any changes.
“Belize cannot tax its way into a stronger tourism industry. We must make Belize more competitive, not more expensive,” the UDP asserted.
The post UDP rejects proposed hotel tax increase, warns it could hurt Tourism industry appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The United Democratic Party (UDP) is strongly opposing the proposed increase in Belize’s hotel accommodation tax from 9% to 12%, warning that the measure could make the country less competitive as a tourism destination. The UDP says that the proposed increase as a 33% hike could place additional pressure on hotels and
The post UDP rejects proposed hotel tax increase, warns it could hurt Tourism industry appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
