Tourism Industry Hopes for Minimal Impact from Murders

John Burgos

The murders of Canadian national Francesca Matus and her American partner Drew Thomas DeVoursney continue to receive news coverage in both countries and around the world.  Unfortunately, it’s not the kind Belize would want. And while they have been few and far between, murders of foreigners visiting Belize, like those of Anne Swaney and Matthiew Klinck last year, do harm to the Belizean brand and image. As an industry that works to share that brand and image, the tourism industry always faces hard questions about Belize’s safety as a destination. We put the question to the Belize Tourism Industry Association’s John Burgos today and he said that while it is far too early to speculate on what lies behind the murders, the good news is that visitors to the Jewel can feel safe.

John Burgos, Executive Director, B.T.I.A.

“I do believe that Belize, [as with] any other country, you will have such casualties [from] people coming and retiring in Belize. You go to the U.S., are going to have tourists dying in the U.S., in Mexico, everywhere. I am happy to say that it’s not something that happens every month in Belize; it happens every so often which is not something at a critical stage, far from being at a critical stage.”