Business and Retirement Guide to Belize
A glimpse at an affordable retirement possibility in a tropical paradise
Among his friendly audience who came to hear about his most recent work, Fred Langan, known for his specialization in business journalism with CBC and author of several other books, launched the second edition of Business and Retirement Guide to Belize at Brome Lake Books in Knowlton over the past weekend. Although his co-author and instigator of the work, Bob Dhillon, was not in attendance, Langan walked his onlookers through details within the book while elaborating on them with his own personal experiences.
The first edition of this detailed easyto-read guide to investing in real estate was published almost seven years ago. Langan says the need to publish a second edition of this guide relates to advances in air transport as well as the fact that banking information has also changed. “With international rules making banking secrecy a thing of the past, the modifications were necessary points within the main goal of the book,” he said.
The illustrated guide frames up a detailed overview of history, culture, natural resources, and attractions in what is still a little-known destination country in Central American on the Caribbean. It allows readers to get to know why Belize is an attractive location with affordable possibilities for vacation, retirement, or business development. Appendices with charts and fact sheets allow the curious a quick reference to government institutions, banking resources, as well as everyday information on concerns that tourist would want to know about.
Belize is said to have been the least developed one between the two big Americas to the north and south. Until 2011 it is said that Belize was a little-known,
hidden gem. Only two airlines were flying in and out of the country. That has changed with seven, including Air Canada and West Jet, as well as Copa and Avianca now accommodating the influx of tourists to the country. Langan raved about his first arrival to Belize years ago when the combination of sea, lush landscape, and vibrantly coloured buildings served as an exciting visual colour blast like no other.
Langan and co-author Bob Dhillon pitch Belize as the safest and most affordable of Central American countries. “Costa Rica is beautiful, but it is much more expensive and has become overdeveloped. What makes Belize so alluring is that it has not been overdeveloped, and even folks on a fixed pension could afford to visit or live there,” says Langan, adding that although actor Leonardo Dicaprio owns a large island close to its mainland, there are many islands with virgin landscape ripe for people to buy for either residential or business purposes. It has a buzzing nightlife in the city, white beaches to stroll on by the moonlit sea, accessible tropical rainforest, lost jungle cities, Mayan ruins, and a climate that sees little fluctuation. It is a region rarely impacted by raging storms, it’s affordable, a peaceful society that lives under rule of law by a parliamentarian system. English is the official language while Spanish, Creole, Garifuna, and Mayan are also spoken.