NICH introduces ticket system for large groups
A new ticket purchasing procedure comes into effect on August twenty-eighth, for visitors wanting to experience the Nohoch Che’en and Altun Ha archaeological reserves. As of Monday, all tour groups, those consisting of eight or more guests, as well as groups of fifteen, visiting Nohoch Che’en and Altun Ha, respectively, will have to pay for tickets in either of three municipalities: Belize City, Belmopan or San Ignacio. That decision succeeds a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Culture and History, NICH. Earlier today, News Five spoke with Communications Director Neil Hall.
Neil Hall, Communications Director, NICH
Neil Hall
“What has happened is, in an effort to ensure the safety of our staff, as we both know these are slightly out of the way locations and there is no banking facility nearby, transferal of monies from point A to point B is something we want to minimize. In an effort to ensure the safety of our staff and the safety of all monetary transfers, we’ve moved the collection stations from those sites to other locations. So, for example, for groups of eight or more going to Nohoch Che’en, they will be asked to pay for their bookings either by tour operator in just groups of themselves, etc., we’ll ask for them to pay for their stuff at either the banks or in the San Ignacio District. For those going to Altun Ha, the nearest location would be Belize City and we’re asking them to come and pay for their groups of fifteen or more for Altun Ha at either the NICH office on Rectory Lane and Regent Street, or at the Belize Tourism Village, whichever one is easier depending of course on the day, as the tourism village doesn’t open every single day.”
Isani Cayetano
“Now the idea here is for the prevention of having to move large sums of money from either of these two locations, correct?”
Neil Hall
“Well that’s a part of it, it’s also for the convenience. Most people when they buy a tour they know they’re going on a tour, they know in advance and they can definitely stop by either one of the locations that have been specified as collection points to make their purchase of tickets. It also makes it so that when they do get there it’s a much more fluid transport system where they park, they walk straight in and give their tickets and they just go. It’s not a stop and go system.”
Groups consisting of less than eight and fifteen guests, separately, for Nohoch Che’en and Altun Ha are permitted to purchase tickets at the ticket offices of the respective archaeological reserves.
