Four countries measure impact of tourism on reef

Delegates from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras are meeting in the city for the next two days as part of the first regional tourism forum coordinated by the Meso-American Barrier Reef Systems Project. The workshop aims to promote conservation and sustainable use of the reef by learning from each country’s progress and setbacks.

Noel Jacobs, Regional Director, M.B.R.S.

“There are many things that we take for granted in Belize, that other people in Mexico or Honduras or Guatemala might do very differently and may be affecting the reef differently, like guidelines during recreational dives. If I am a dive guide, what kind of steps do I take to ensure that my clients do not damage the reef? Maybe the guys in Belize use one set of guidelines, while the guys in Mexico use a different set. We need to compare those and see which one is more effective and why, and determine to what extent those that we take are better can be adopted by the other three countries. So it’s really to put the experiences on the table.”

Janelle Chanona, Reporting

According to tourism representatives, Belizeans are sensitive to the fragility of our environment but as a regional team, we can protect and promote our resources better.

Vincent Palacio, Director of Training, B.T.B.

“It’s crucial that we come together to market this product, which we hope to sell to visitors. You know how expensive marketing can be, but if we come together and pool our resources, we could do a more effective marketing program or strategy as a group. There is financing if we get together and write bigger proposals to get more money to involve more local people in the industry from around the region.”

The conference ends tomorrow.