All the way up to news time, the members of FECTAB, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, were meeting with members of BTB and NICH to discuss their latest grievances about the about the regulations at the Nohoch Che'en Archaeological Site.
As we've told you, the federation is upset with NICH and their brand new Health and Safety Policy Manual for Archaeological Sites, dated July 2014. The main grievance they have is about the new height regulation of 48 inches for visitors to the Nohoch Che'en cave system. In the periphery is the allegation that NICH has entered an agreement with a new company called Darknight Cave Tubing Adventures, which supposedly enjoys competitive advantages over the other local companies.
Well today, NICH released a statement saying quote, "The National Institute of Culture and History is appalled by the blatantly defamatory accusations made against our Institution last Friday by members of FECTAB at a press conference. NICH denies categorically the accusation that it has entered into a 75 year agreement with Darknight Cave Tubing Adventures Ltd for the management or operation of some caves."
It continues, "An agreement with the Company for Cave Tubing was signed on the 5th September 2014 for a three year period. The entrance fee for visitors to the locale is $10.00 per person. This is the same as charged at Nohoch Che'en." End Quote.
NICH continues,
"There have always been rules and regulations specific to caves for safety and security reasons - those rules and regulations along with others related to all archaeological sites were incorporated into legislation and signed on the 27th of May 2014. These…standards were incorporated…after an extensive consultation process beginning a year earlier in 2013." End quote.
After all those hard words, both sides had a meeting this evening at the BTB office on Regent Street to try to settle the differences. It continued for 3 hours, and at it's completion about 20 minutes ago, some of the members walked out upset. Our news Team just returned from speaking to them, and we air Vitalino Reyes' comments unedited. He was explaining to us how his pre-booked guests left the country upset because their children under the 48 inch height requirement couldn't enjoy the tours that their parents planned:
Daniel Ortiz
"Mr. Reyes, you've also been a part of this meeting. What's your reaction to how it's been progressing with BTB and NICH?"
Vitalino Reyes Sr., cavetubing.bz
"IT looks like they don't want to have any solution because I was asking them, I was telling them we have a lot of issues, especially every day we have issues with the children; they are 48 inches, but are probably 47 inches tall and they are seven and a half years old, or six years old. These people as I mention, they promise adventures to their child and when they come here, they are not allowed to go. It frustrates me because, not only they will do that professionally, but also the tourism police would try to provoke, and insult, offend and threaten us in front of the tourists. Everything that happens there is negative to Belize and not just to my company - not just to one of the guys. It's all about Belize and then it only applies to us local tour operator. It doesn't apply to any other, so that why it's unfair and I was asking BTB and NICH if they can just give us time to continue, or choose something else to do. Today I had to go river tubing and just so the people don't get mad with me I can't charge them anything because I have a reputation. That is hurting a lot of us. We are trying to tell them that we are humans and this law that they have a long time which we did not know anything about and they implement it without any notice or without emailing us or telling us anything. So that is the point that they do not understand. They should just leave it and just check it good and then when they decide to apply then let us know at least one week before and then we would be happy with that."
We'll have more on the formal outcome of the meeting tomorrow.
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