Southern Group says cautious yes to Cruise Tourism

The Southern Regional Council of Tour Guide Association is going against the grain in respect of cruise ship tourism in the South. The Placencia Village Council and the B.T.I.A. have given a thumbs down to cruise tourism, but the council, which is committed to sustainable tourism, says it cautiously welcomes small scale cruise ship tourism with boats carrying no more than a few hundred passengers arriving on just a few days each week. It also stipulates that the cruise industry in the south should be managed and controlled by Belizeans. Dennis Garbutt, the chairman of S.R.C.T.G.A. said “If we cannot have small scale cruise ship tourism, with strong guarantees from government that it will stay small scale, then we will have no option but to join the ranks of those totally opposed to cruise ship tourism.” The group is comprised of the Tour Guide Associations of Punta Gorda, Monkey River, Independence and Placencia.  On Wednesday morning on Open Your Eyes, cruise ship tourism will be central in the discussion with representatives from FECTAB.