BELIZE TOURISM OFFICIALS AND BELIZE CITY MAYOR MET WITH FLORIDA CARIBBEAN CRUISE ASSOCIATION

August 18, 2006

Belize Tourism officials and Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya met with representatives of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association. The meeting was in an effort to continue fostering an understanding of the cruise industry, its operating practices and to seek further growth and development of the cruise industry in Belize. Minister Godfrey Smith re-assured the F-C-C-A of Government’s commitment to managing the expectations of both the overnight and cruise tourism sectors. The Minister also indicated that the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize City Council were currently reviewing several tourism related projects to enhance the tourism product in Belize. The eight member delegation of the F-C-C-A comprised representatives from Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean International and the president of the F-C-C-A. Mayor Moya outlined the various projects under consideration. These include beautification projects, a city based eco-park at Antelope Pond Extension, the re-design of downtown Belize City, rehabilitation of local parks and the establishment of a craft and vendors market. Mayor Moya assured the F-C-C-A that the City Council was cognizant of the needs of the cruise sector sand that her council will make every effort to address the concerns of the citizens of Belize while providing a quality experience for visitors. The private sector partners also outlined their concerns at the decrease of the cruise ship passenger arrival figures and expressed private sector’s commitment to working in conjunction with the F-C-C-A to maximize the cruise tourism potential in Belize. Other issues raised included safety and security concerns, the cruise impact study and the overall management of the cruise industry.

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