7 News Belize

FECTAB still Fiery
posted (September 22, 2010)
Last month, FECTAB, the Federation Of Cruise Tourism Associations Of Belize raised a righteous uproar against Jamaican based Chukka Tours and its local partner BAKABUSH tours. Since then, the government ahs passed laws to address some of their concerns - but today member Yonnie Rosado and President Tom Greenwood were back with fire and brimstone. 7news was at their press conference:….

Yoni Rosado, Cavetubing.com "There is a fish that came from the river bottom, but I am the fish."

Jules Vasquez, Reporting
And that fish told a room with a modest crowd of industry workers and owners says that Bakabush and Chukka Tours is bad for this industry because their success spells out the detrminet of other tour operators and the smaller players in the industry:

Yoni Rosado, Cavetubing.com
"Suddenly now we have Chukka Caribbean Adventures and Bakabush, nobody to grow now but them only. People should know that there is something malicious about this company. You cannot be greedy up everything, just last year they were getting a lot of jobs because the hair braiders can come in our vehicles, in our bus and ask them if they want a hair braid, and they write down their name down. So they are waiting for us. Can you go into Bakabush bus and do that? So that is the fight. Look at our local tour providers working with our local hair braiders our Belizean people. Look at Chukka - they say hell no that is not going to happen with us, keep the hair braiders away from our busses. Something like when America coughs Belize get a cold. Alright don't let me cough because taxi drivers and hair braiders are going to get asthma. They are not from here; they don't have feelings for us. They just see us as a petroleum company, they have found oil in the caves, they have found oil in the Maya temple."

And now, FECTAB says all they have worked for is at risk:

Yoni Rosado, Cavetubing.com
"So what we are seeing right now is our tree, our garden that we have grow up and take care of for 9-11 years now. You know what happen Bakabush is making the tree or the garden is dying right in front of our eyes. And we have something in common - the public and us are all suffering. If tomorrow chukka, Bakabush, Belize Tourism Board, the CEO, the Minister and even the Prime Minister will understand our cause. We don't need to have no more meetings. And my guys as my witness I told them that they have to vote UDP, we can't handle PUP not knowing that when we ask for help this would happen. I will let the media know that we are not fighting the government of Belize. We are fighting Chukka Caribbean Adventures but when we are fighting Chukka, we are fighting a war with BTB."

And after all that bombast to a more than sympathetic crowd - Tom Greenwood literally threw the book at them as he read form a catalogue describing the company's services while also offering live commentary

Tom Greenwood, President FECTAB
"From the moment I read cruising, I look at this and I said 'oh my God' Chukka in Belize. Develop and maintain a strong relationship with your financial partners to ensure they are willing and ready to support should the need arise. "Come to Belize, find out who you can buy and give the man some little money and we got it made, we don't have to follow the rules, everybody have to follow the rule. You know Belizean don't wear any clothes. If you go there everybody from the waist down is naked. Let's go there and do our rape thing." Partners on all sides are focus on cutting mutually beneficial deals. Jules our children Jules, you know people tell me that I am this and that. Every time I shout the alarm something happens."

While that is special in its own way - beyond the dramatics and histrionics this group is calling on government to protect them - while at the same time employing less than subtle political pressure:

Yoni Rosado, Cavetubing.com
"Now we come in a time where they have tour guide license, driver's license, tour operator license, liability insurance. We are professional tour guides and we are still not up to standards to Mr. Michael Singh. And unfortunately to mention Michael Singh on the media is because he was the one that was referring to us as hungry bellies."

FECTAB has vowed to continue its activism and lobbying…

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