But with almost a quarter of Belizeans telling census officials they are unemployed, not all locals welcome the new arrivals.

ECONOMIST: Immigrants in Belize

Speaking mostly Low German (the majority of Belizeans speak Kriol or Spanish as their first language), they run their own schools, banks and churches.

BBC: Papayas and piety in Belize

Since the 1980s, the government has encouraged Belizeans to be stakeholders in their own tourism industry, occasionally supporting community-based projects, according to the travel book Insight Guides Belize.

BBC: Belize��s lessons in eco-tourism