2nd Annual Elevate Training Expo – Improving Service Excellence

The Belize Tourism Board is hosting the second annual Elevate Training Expo at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. Stakeholders, including property owners, chefs, those in the hospitality sector and artisans, are being engaged in the two-day workshop that’s focused on building the capacity of the participants and improve the service excellence of the industry. The training expo opened this morning and concludes on Friday. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Tourism stakeholders countrywide – those in academia, tour guides and restaurateurs and property owners – are among the three hundred plus persons that are being engaged in a two-day capacity building training organized by the Belize Tourism Board. Cruise and Capacity Development Director Lloyd Enriquez says that the key is to not only elevate, but to compete globally.

Lloyd Enriquez

Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise & Capacity Development, B.T.B.

“It’s about elevating our capacity. We want to compete globally. Belize is not only a regional competitor, but a global competitor in the tourism sphere. So it’s about service delivery, making sure that our people are equipped with the tools, skills, knowledge that they need to offer the best service ever. So when our visitors come here, they walk away feeling, wow I had a great experience in Belize. And this is one way we can impart the skills.  It’s a two-day, it’s condensed, it’s packed; they can actually go back to their places of business, their places of work and implement these skills and practices.”

The event featured presentations from international experts, as well as persons who understand the tourism industry in Belize. Tourism Director Evan Tillett says that the aim is to raise service excellence within the country.

Evan Tillett

Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism

“For us, the service level, I think, needs a push and hence why we are focusing on training because that is the way we can elevate the experiences that we have in Belize.”

Tillett says that the ultimate goal is to develop a training academy for industry stakeholders that will allow for constant and consistent development across the industry.

Evan Tillett

“We’re not looking at only the bottom-line training programs, but we are looking at high level training programs and hence why we partnered with Florida International University, Lemon8 and we also used the talents of our local trainers as well, which is important because if we are going to advance the service level in the tourism industry, then we must focus on training.”

There were several breakout sessions that touched on digital marketing, as well as authenticity.

Lloyd Enriquez

“When we do exit surveys at the airport and our other ports of entry and exit, people tell us that we have the warmest people; we are so genuine and friendly – we are authentic – they get an authentic experience when they are here in Belize. But this expo and other training events that we have and other training programs that we have throughout the year is really meant for us to take that authenticity, but also meet a certain level of expectation that visitors who are global travellers expect. So this is one more along that effort.”

Duane Moody for News Five.