Caribbean Timeshare

Your relaxing vacation in Belize just got even better!

Effective immediately: timeshare operators, off-property consultants, and other timeshare-hustler types in and around Ambergris Caye, Belize, will have to back off. It seems the Belize Tourism Board was getting too many complaints from tourists (and locals) trying to enjoy a peaceful day at the beach or a leisurely stroll along the city streets and shops.

Many Belize timeshare operators were simply being too pushy. On December 8, 2005, timeshare representatives, the Belize Registrar of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation, area police officers, and members of the San Pedro Town Council met together to discuss the problem. As a result, a resolution was enacted requiring, “all timeshare operators cease and desist from soliciting timeshare sales in public areas.”

A second resolution requires that timeshare operators apply through the San Pedro Town Council for a trade license for their timeshare booths and kiosks. They will now be required to adhere to the guidelines and procedures stipulated by their trade license or face stiff penalties or a ban on soliciting.

Representatives from the following Belize timeshare properties participated in the decision: Captain Morgan’s Vacation Club, the Seven Seas Resort, The Villas at Banyan Bay, Aquamarina Suites, Costa Maya Reef Resort, and the Belize Yacht Club (Island Club Resorts).

It’s very encouraging to see more countries around the world getting tough on pushy timeshare sales tactics, and it is particularly gratifying to see Belize getting into the act. Obviously the Mayor and the six members of the San Pedro Town Council are serious about protecting the serenity of their community – and rightfully so, considering that Belize is a tranquil natural paradise in its own right. Just off the coastline of Belize lies the second largest barrier reef in the world—and the three incredible Belize atolls. Centuries of coral, in colors from red to green to vivid yellow, have helped form the atolls, and nowhere does the Great Belize Barrier Reef run as closely to the shoreline as it does in Ambergris Caye.

2005 now ties with 1933 for the year with most storms in a single season.

Another powerful storm threatens the Caribbean, this time a category 5 hurricane of record-breaking intensity.

Hurricane Wilma is currently moving towards Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula at an estimated speed of seven miles per hour. Wilma has already caused deaths in Jamaica and Haiti, mostly due to mudslides. Hurricane warnings are currently in effect along the easternmost tip of the Yucatan. The Cayman Islands are undergoing preparations for this storm, and a number of events have already been canceled in anticipation of hurricane conditions.

Meanwhile, in the Florida Keys, evacuations are already under way. As hurricane conditions may complicate travel by road (the Keys are connected by a series of long bridges spanning the waters of the Gulf of Mexico), many tourists are being asked to leave before the situation has an opportunity to turn for the worse. More information on the Florida Keys can be found here.

Despite the startling intensity of hurricane Wilma and the strong likelihood of landfall on US soil, news of this latest hurricane has sparked mixed reactions. Whereas a strong contingent is preparing for the worst, some seem to feel that mainstream media outlets have over-hyped the situation. This article from the BBC may give some insight.

Regardless of opinion, most people would agree that it is important to follow the latest news of this storm and to make preparations accordingly. As hurricanes can often change course, there is fear that Wilma could potentially hit the already-devastated areas of the US Gulf Coast. Regardless of where Wilma eventually turns up, the potential outcome could be disastrous.

National Hurricane Center Public Advisory on Hurricane Wilma