Service and manufacturing boost GDP as primary industries hit by drought

By Aaron Humes: Even with shocks to the tourism and agriculture industries, Belize’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 1.8 percent from last year in the third quarter.

While secondary and tertiary industries recorded healthy increases, tourism saw reductions of nearly 4 percent in overnight visitors, 6 percent of room revenue and almost 21 percent in cruise ship visitors.

The Belize Tourism Board will be responsible for explaining whether there is a correlation between the June murder of an American tourist off Ambergris Caye and losses in tourist arrivals from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Elsewhere, there were losses across the agricultural and fishing sector from sugar, citrus and bananas to fishing. Nearly all of these were affected by the ongoing drought in the agricultural belts in the north and south.

The secondary sector, which covers manufacturing saw greater production in electricity and water as well as beverages like beer and soft drinks.

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