…But B.T.B. Keeping International Visitors Engaged

Jocelle Stephen

While health experts foresee challenges with the reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport, there is optimism at the Belize Tourism Board about international tourists being able to return to the Jewel.  In fact, they have launched the dear Belize website that allows for persons in the main markets for the country—the U.S., Canada and the U.K.—to participate in an opportunity to win a vacay in Belize, when international flights resume. B.T.B.’s Jocelle Stephen says that they are also keeping Belize’s name on the list of top destinations to visit.  

Jocelle Stephen, Marketing & Industry Relations Manager, B.T.B.

“We have been pacing ourselves even prior to that. What we realized from the pandemic hit was that we needed to find strategic ways of keeping Belize top of kind. We cannot make our visitors and potential visitors to forget this curious place. So we actually promoted ‘wonderlust;’ so we created that lust for Belize by sharing inspirational content. So we did weekly themed postcards that had the message of Belize awaits—we are just waiting for you when it is safe for you to travel and come back. So we shared with them through that messaging, our culture, our people, our natural elements around us and adventure. And so every week, we threw out a new postcard with a new image and it was really well received; even media internationally were really hungry for what we were doing and kept asking our agencies for information on what we were doing. So that was one thing that we were doing. In addition to that, we worked with our local stakeholders here to produce virtual videos. So we have different chefs that could delicious meals—whether it was them cooking up a fry jack or something—they produce videos and we were able to share that. They had cultural music with Clayton Williams, we also had a bartender that did their own concoction on drinks and we also had the wellness aspect, so we had a wellness instructor give a series of yoga videos. All in keeping Belize top of mind.”