Tourism stakeholders tighten safety measures

In news in the tourism industry, the death of a U.S. tourist has prompted a meeting of stakeholders: The Belize Tourism Board, Tour Operators Licensing Committee and NICH. In a release issued on Wednesday, B.T.B. says the enforcement of the guide to guest ratio has commenced, effective immediately. The Tourism Police Unit is responsible for enforcing the eight tourists to one guide ratio for all water-based activities at various tourism sites. Meanwhile, NICH is planning to put in place other safety policies at Caves Branch by October fifteenth. When we spoke to Director of Product Development at B.T.B., Laura Esquivel, she told us there are enough licensed guides to go around to fulfill the increased demand. Tour companies will no doubt take a licking in their pocketbooks as a result, but Esquivel says the policy has been in place for some time and was simply not being enforced. On September twenty-third Orlando resident, fifty year old Linda Linan died during a cave tubing tour. The nurse drowned when she was knocked off her tube and was swept under the rapids. After the incident, concerns were raised as to whether the tour should even have taken place as the river was above normal and had a strong current. The Tour Operators Licensing Committee is currently investigating to see if there was any wrongdoing on the part of the cruise company, Bel-Cruise. The Carnival Cruise Company has suspended future sales of the tour and is also investigating. Esquivel believes that as the season picks up and Carnival sees the safety measures that have been put in place by NICH and the B.T.B., the tours should resume.