Massive resort complex to break ground
While the growing Corozal free Zone continues to boost the economy of Northern Belize, a new tourism project adjoining the zone promises to make the area a Mecca for more than just shoppers looking for bargain liquor and gasoline. The Galeria Maya Project, located on the waters of Four-Miles Lagoon, centres around the construction of a complex of hotels, casinos and upscale shopping malls. President of the Galeria Maya Consortium, former Minister of Tourism Glenn Godfrey, says that the new venture will bring more jobs for Belizeans and much needed foreign exchange.
Glenn Godfrey, Pres., Galeria Maya Consortium
“It is a strip modeled off the Las Vegas model, which seeks not only to provide gaming, but to provide a mixture of activity that will provide that will appeal to the entire family. So we’ll have amusement park like for the kids, we’ll have shopping for those people who like to shop, we’ll have gaming and of course we’ll have restaurants, water sports, golf, activities for everybody.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“These are upscale goods particularly where shopping is concerned, it will be better quality stuff than in the actual free zone now? Elaborate a bit.
Glenn Godfrey
“Well we don’t want to compete with the market that present people in the zone are catering to. We think that that market is saturated and they’re doing a good job at what they do. We are looking at a different market, an upper scale market, the people who want to buy Gucci and all the name brands.”
“We’ll have five hotels in all with casinos and shopping malls. The first project is the first hotel with the shopping mall, casino and an entertainment centre. Also the Four Mile Lagoon is very, very beautiful, it’s a sinkhole, a cave collapse and filled with water and connected out to the river, so it’s beautiful. Belizeans have been going there a long time to enjoy it. Under the existing law Belizeans will not be able to go into the zone to shop.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Instead of selling only the idea of the casino, you’re looking to sell the experience now, so when people come across by boat, will we see maybe a little cruise section, because they could come across regularly.”
Glenn Godfrey
“Yes. They will be able to come by boat and there’s a significant advantage to them returning by boat because it will double the amount that they can take back duty free from one hundred and fifty dollars U.S. to three hundred dollars. Of course it’s part of the experience like you said. And that area is very beautiful, when you go to the river there are alligators and beautiful birds, and we’ll work to preserve that.”
Godfrey says that ground will be broken on May twenty-seventh for the first of the project’s five hotels. The entire project is scheduled for completion in eighteen months.
