Cruise ship arrivals topped the one million passenger mark in 2016, but independent tour operators say that they've got it worse than ever. As we have reported many times, that's because Norwegian Cruise Line makes very few calls in Belize City now that they have their own port in the South. And those Norwegian cruisers are the ones who usually spend. Now, the local operators say they are facing another setback. And that's because they are being pushed back form in front of the tourism village, all the way to the Memorial Park. Now, that is part of a BTB plan to use the park as a loading area for tourists who exit the Fort George Tourism Zone. But the operators told why they aren't sold on the idea...
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"Here we are all tour operators. The last time I had checked, I know that no tour operator is different from each other here. We had signed an SOP agreeing that this how we would run the operations."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"How is that, how would you run the operation?"
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"We said with Mr. Longsworth who - without Andrew Longsworth, this would have never been where it is right now. We had come a long way with him trying to let us roll the dice, so to speak. Here we have a line in the middle of street that you can notice, that line that divides and says, over this side, this is pre-book. Across the other side, that's freelancers."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"That was in the agreement."
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"That was in the agreement. The freelancers so to speak received anything that comes on the outside that is not booked with a company, but the problem is when those people who are not booked with company comes on the outside, everybody who is a freelancer, so to speak, rushes up to the step. Now, they don't give the customer a chance to say, 'I am looking for Big John Tours,' 'I am looking for other tour companies.'"
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So, the problem here it seems that it's the freelance tour operators, they are not following the rules."
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"Yes, it's a part of it."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So tell us now about that issue and what you have with the BTB."
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"That issue is another issue, simply because if you can see how it is right now and we are seeing people, and people are coming out and we are not getting a job. How do you think it's going to be for us to go to that park?"
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So did they say or tell you all this morning that you all will have to move to Memorial Park?"
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"Friday that has mentioned. The date has not been set for that as yet, but that is in the pipe line to move to that side of the Memorial Park."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"Did they give you a reason why?"
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"They are saying that we should be moving to that location. They are going to put some booths up for each operators at terminal 2, that's the distance at terminal 2 and in that booth, you are going to have one personnel. That personnel is going to be the one who is going to be the sales person. He or she is going to get the job, radio you to come from the park coming this side."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"They want to set up a whole new system."
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"They want to set up a whole new system. For me, I see it as a black eye to Big John Tours."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"One of the things that BTB is always pushing for, what they are always trying to say is that they just want to establish order here, because the tourists as well have complained as well that sometimes when they arrive the tour operators, you guys just rush them and bombard them and shout and they are just trying to establish order in this area. What do have to say in response to that?"
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"You were here 10 minutes ago, today we have 3 ships inside. I know for a fact that you are not seeing any tourist running back inside because of the bombarding. What we had done, we had rent this place from Feinstein. This is a rent that we are paying to Feinstein weekly for this establishment. Now, when the people come out, we go to receive them and bring them across the street, but they are saying to us now that we should not go across the street and bring them but instead..."
Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"So you all should stay over here?"
John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours
"...While the other companies bombard your stuff."
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