What we do know is that what we have underfoot is some of the most immaculate and fascinating real estate anywhere on the face of the planet and if properly maintained and marketed, can yield dividends for generations to come. Our lush rain forests are host to a myriad of exotic wildlife and a remarkable array of intriguing Mayan history, while our reefs and atolls support copious and colorful marine life. To those who have never had the pleasure of experiencing our unique underwater paradise, a dazzling display of shells and sea products are on display at the Image Factory on North Front Street and might provide some valuable insight into the amazing beauty that exists down there. The exhibit runs until July 15th.

The breathtaking awe of Belize’s beauty was for a long time a well kept secret, but in recent times the tourist industry has begun to take notice. Belize is these days, prominently featured in just about every major travel guide in the world and stories by Jacques Costeau and Discovery Channel have done much to make our name a universal household word. “What is Belize?” is a regular question to answers on Jeopardy and maybe one day, we can invite these guys to do a show from San Pedro; what is mo money Alex? The Tourism Board of course, has been doing much to promote our country abroad and we understand that a special feature called, “Spot Light on Belize” will soon begin to air in the US. Time Magazine recently unfolded an impressive six-page layout on the beauty of Belize and we have become an increasingly popular port of call for many

cruise ships.

While the Belize tourist industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds, however, and with the increased publicity we can look for it to grow even faster, we the people of Belize will have to keep pace and prepare ourselves to take advantage the huge windfall profits that are possible therefrom. With this in mind, the Tourism Board hosted a three-day seminar at the Radisson Fort George this past week in an effort to reach the people who most directly deal with the tourists. One main group of focus were the taxi drivers but while a few did attend, there were many who felt that it was just not worth the time nor the 10 bucks that was being charged. Many have complained that those in charge of the cruise ships operation, do not exactly have their best interest at heart. They complain that most tourists are hoarded aboard chartered buses and transported en masse to various destinations that do not include Belize City. And hopefully, this is a problem that will soon be addressed.

The final day of the three-day seminar dealt with service excellence which is designed to impress upon the average Belizean, the importance of creating a good impression. We will need many more of these seminars and Belizeans will have to realize that if we are all to profit from the benefits of tourism, then we will all have to do our share to make it happen.

Just last week, we received news of five hoodlums who attacked a tourist on Caye Caulker and while we understand that the culprits were eventually apprehended, incidents like these can do irreparable damage to our image. Tourists are continually warned to stay clear of Belize City when they visit our country because of the alarming numbers that have been victims of crime in the past. I imagine that now this warning will be extended to include Caye Caulker. What this all means of course, is that while the majority of our population live in Belize City, little enough of those precious tourist dollars ever trickle down to our doorsteps. While we continually hear of the increase in tourist arrivals, few are the ones who are courageous enough to wander about the streets of our city. Many prefer to join the large tour groups that are taken directly to remote areas or are whisked to some hideaway inland or island resort. Because of the high rate of crime, many prepay for their vacation and come to Belize with little or no cash to spend. The establishment of a Tourism Police has done much to combat the problem of crime against tourists, but it is one that will require the effort of the entire community at large.

A healthy tourist industry will benefit all Belizeans, let us all do our share to make Belize a safer and more attractive place to visit.