FECTAB Executives crack under pressure

FECTAB press conferences are normally colorful and charged.  Today, the organization held another one of those, but it also got emotional.  Two of its firebrand members cracked under the pressure of slow business and they placed blame squarely on the government and on another tour operator saying there is unfair advantage.  Despite slashing prices by fifty percent, independent tour operators are still not turning a profit during this high season.  Tom Greenwood and Yhony Rosado have both been on the frontlines, today they both got downright emotional. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Tom Greenwood, President, FECTAB

“This has to [bleep] stop alright!  This has to stop because I am bloody angry!  Where did this come from?  How do you attack your own and you leave something from outside to laugh and enjoy?  This has to stop!  It must stop! It must change!”

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Yhony Rosado

The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, FECTAB, a firebrand advocacy group, held an emotionally charged press conference this morning.  The hour-long media briefing was complete with a spontaneous breakdown followed by expletives.

Yhony Rosado, Proprietor, Cave-tubing.com

“This Christmas comes [and] we don’t have jobs.  I own my buses.  I invested every penny in the tourism business and this is what they give us.  B.T.B. has not apologized to me, neither verbally nor written.  But you know what, they are waiting for me to make a mistake.”

It’s the height of the 2013 tourist season and independent tour operators are complaining loudly that they are being shut out of business.  FECTAB executives sharply criticize the Belize Tourism Board and, by extension, the Government of Belize for allowing an unfair advantage within the travel industry.  They contend that once again rival tour operator Chukka Belize is attempting to squeeze them out of competition.

Tom Greenwood

Tom Greenwood

“It has to stop. I am never at a loss for words but I’m at a loss for words on why when you go to Mexico it’s the exact opposite or when you go to Guatemala it’s the exact opposite and when you come to Belize we get this situation where native Belizeans cannot survive and the people who are doing this are assisted by the authority.  B.T.B., you know something, that person who died [while] snorkeling you better get down because we are hearing other stories but we are waiting to ascertain exactly what had happened.  Of course you know that the lawsuits will be wild and wooly and in today’s world nobody just sues one entity, they sue everything around you.”

That statement is in reference to an incident earlier this week during which a visitor reportedly died while on a snorkeling expedition.

Tom Greenwood

“Then there was the snorkeling incident and we’re getting disturbing reports about what exactly happened there.  I cannot comment on it because although I am told by an eyewitness I need that to be brought out by authority but it wasn’t just what was being said. It was more.”

All in all it’s been a bad week for tourism and, to make matters worst, the recent incidents are giving tour operators in Belize a bad name.  For tour operator Yhony Rosado today was an emotional day, the culmination of a terrible start to what should have been a profitable season.

Yhony Rosado

“It’s people like us that fight for our country and for our people.  We are a little bit tinier than Nelson Mandela but we will fight for our industry, for our kids of this country and [bleep] the government.  This [bleep] government noh ready fu protect the people.  I’m really hurt by this government, we voted them in to think they were going to do better but they’re just playing blind to what is happening to us.  You know, it’s Christmas month we shouldn’t be crying for jobs in the high season.  It’s Christmas month we shouldn’t be crying we don’t have jobs nor money during a high cruise tourism season.  But you know, the government they know how to play politics.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

In respect of the person who died while snorkeling, Chukka Belize issued a release refuting the statements made by FECTAB saying they are blatantly untrue and inflammatory. The company says that they continue to deliver high quality, safe tours for visitors to Belize and hold themselves to not only a national standard but a world tourism standard. Says the release, “these latest statements and actions of Tom Greenwood and FECTAB are the most irresponsible yet and are damaging the image of Belize as a professional, world class tourist destination. It is most unfortunate that a member of the industry in Belize would resort to such tactics and exploiting the personal tragedy of anyone for any reason.”