Tourism in Belize has been sagging for the last two quarters with the
financial meltdown in the USA. But now with support from the Inter-American
Development Bank, the long dormant Ministry of Tourism has come up with a thorough
plan to resuscitate Belize’s tourism fortunes. Ministry CEO Michael Singh
outlined it today.
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism
“With the major loan of this government’s administration, I
say we are off to a running start.”
Michael Singh, CEO – Ministry of Tourism
“We feel, as Tracy said, that it is important that we jumpstart the
industry by getting into projects such as this one which will really be that
quantum leap that we need to move to the stage and once we get on board with
that momentum, we feel that we can expand the industry. There is a very dire
need for expanding capacity, additional hotel rooms, additional attractions
and this will be accomplished through direct government investment such as this
initiative today.”
And this initiative contemplates no less than an entire re-shaping of the tourism
industry. It is complemented by a Tourism Development Act which creates a Development
Trust, a Zone Management Authority and an investment arm. Big plans and the
IDB came through with big money US$13.3 million to support it.
Michael Singh,
“Primarily this project in following our manifesto promise, focuses
heavily on infrastructure in tourism. The one thing that was identified before
the election in our consultation with the industry is that the infrastructure
that supports tourism is crumbling. It makes it difficult for our guests to
get where they need to be. It is very difficult for them to feel safe, it is
very difficult for them to enjoy what Belize has to offer and to have kind of
fight their way through a lot of obstacles. The idea behind the infrastructure
development is to ensure that those obstacles are polished, even if there are
still there, and to ensure that they can enjoyed because we are making better
access.”
Much of the emphasis will be placed on special tourism zones.
Michael Singh,
“One of the things that everybody has always pointed out about our 
tourism product is that we tend to allow development in a very ad hoc manner.
One of the main initiatives that we will be undergoing is we will designate
special tourism zones within which rules will apply to ensure that those zones
provide to our tourists and to our local visitors, because we have to recall
that locally we are all tourists in our country, we all enjoy the same amenities
that the tourists enjoy. So the idea being that we will designate tourism zones
that will focus on aesthetics, security, functionality, history, culture, national
heritage, and the idea being that we will not only zone existing areas that
are currently serving tourists and our local population but also looking at
new areas that have potential for development, for longer term, large scale
sustainable development.”
Those zones will be established in Ambergris Caye, Placencia, Cayo and Belize
City – where the plans are so idyllic that they seem unreal.
Michael Singh,
“The idea is to segment the entire waterfront of Belize and to zone
it into areas that will have its own feel, look, and its own development components.
The new city waterfront area is that area by the new Marine Parade Boulevard
with the new lands that were reclaimed behind the old hospital and that area
will be designated as a new tourism development area with its own style and
we will designate exactly what types of hotels, what type of attractions will
happen in that area. The third area at the bottom is designated as the Bayfront
Area which we are in part of that now and that encompasses the entire harbour,
the entire water front area around North Front Street, Southern Foreshore, Albert
Street, Regent Street, and to create that area into a downtown bay front, more
vibrant area, cleaned up, better sidewalks, better streets.”
Wow! Sounds unreal for a city that can’t even get its main streets paved
– but Singh says, money will drive progress.
Michael Singh,
“If there’s anything that will move development and progress
is money and the access to be able to earn money. So I think the difference
with what happened in the past is that infrastructure attempts were also misdirected
at people that cannot afford it. We’re building houses for people that
cannot afford to pay for houses. We’re building sidewalks in neighbourhoods
that don’t pay enough taxes to cover them. The focus of this on the town
core of each of the tourism zones are the zones that are commercially viable,
that currently have visitorship, we currently have tourists visiting, and San
Pedro is a good example. San Pedro was able to pave all the streets with cobblestones,
they were able to develop a lot out there because the commercial activity enables
it. I think the difference with what you saw in the past and what’s going
to happen is there will be commercial activity to support it.”
IDB has committed to the loan of US$13.3 million and Singh says he
expects work will start within the next 45 to 60 days.
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