Companies given concessions for cruise tenders

It was one of those typically Belizean controversies that provided hot copy for a week or so and then seemed to simply vanish into thin air. What I’m talking about is the issue of tenders for cruise ships. Today that issue resurfaced as Cabinet approved development concessions for two companies to bring in new boats to better service the needs of the cruise industry. Belize City Tenders Limited is a group of Belizeans partnering with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to import a new class of vessels to carry passengers safely from the mega-ships soon to be arriving in the harbour. At the same time, Discovery Divers Ltd., operated by veteran tour operator David Gegg, has been granted a concession to bring in a number of new boats to conduct large scale snorkelling and diving tours, primarily for cruise ship tourists.