More Water Taxi Fare Hikes Likely as Fuel Costs Continue to Rise, Says Mahler

Can Belizeans expect to see another increase in water taxi prices? According to Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler, the answer is yes. Recently, domestic airlines have added fuel surcharges of about BZ$6 to BZ$10 depending on the route, while water taxi fares have seen increases of roughly BZ$2 to BZ$6. Mahler says price increases are expected across the board as rising fuel costs continue to impact transportation and tourism services.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism: “I expect increases all over. We’re experiencing it from my discussions with some of the airlines. I was in Canada, a few weeks ago in the United States talking to airlines and ticket prices have already been going up from about 20 or 30 percent already, which is significant when you’re, especially if you’re doing a transatlantic flight which can be very, very expensive. So you add 20 or 30 percent on that. I expect that the summer should be soft and we have to prepare for that as an industry. There are so many uncertainties, there are so many….. well, the cost of living is so impactful for many, you know and a lot of people all over the world will continue to feel the impacts of this.”