A New Health and Travel Insurance requirement on visitors is expected to come into effect next week, February 15th. 2022.

This prerequisite is causing rumble in in the tourism industry with several stakeholders openly criticizing the measure especially since this new coverage in particular, will be applicable even to those travelers arriving that have personal health and travel insurance.

Inbound Travelers will be obligated to purchase this new policy via an online portal, which is to-date, is still in the making, at border point of entry.

The projected cost is set at US$18 per individual for a coverage of up to US$50,000 in medical expenses related to COVID-19 and up to US$2,000 for lodging at a local mandatory quarantine.

The sticking point that most industry’s stake holders’ questions is why should government force tourists to buy additional coverage from a Belizean provider if they already have international health and travel insurance.

The only new provision in this particular policy compared to other international health and travel insurance is the coverage for flight cancellations, if a policy holder falls sick with Covid.

While some are of the belief that this is a win-win measure; others believe it will put a serious dent to the industry.

Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler, believes that his government is trying to help protect the industry even while he also said that other countries also demand travel insurance to visitors.

Mahler also denied that there is any exclusive award or protection to a Belizean insurance company to provide such service.

He said that government would open-up participation to any international insurance provider if they would meet the specified requirements including cancellation of travel tickets.

Seemingly, the objective of this new health and travel coverage is to protect both stakeholders and travelers with an aim to lift the financial burden of both parties in the case that a tourist visitor get infected with Covid.

As is the rule, COVID-19 positive persons cannot leave the country and must quarantine for a maximum of ten days. As it is presently, this is an added expense for the traveller, but these expenses will be covered with this new health and travel insurance coverage.