Tour operators to be licensed

Tour operators will now have to be licensed and a special committee has been set up to monitor the process. The statutory instrument regulating tour operators was signed today by Tourism Minister Mark Espat. The Tour Operators Committee, which will be controlled by the private sector, will work with the Belize Tourism Board to ensure the minimum standards of service, proper insurance coverage and that safety and emergency equipment are available on all vehicles used for tours. Minister Espat said that “in the coming months every component of the tourism product from the taxi driver to the arts and crafts maker must be fine-tuned if we are to achieve tourism’s potential in Belize.”