15 Major Hotels Come Out Against Travel Insurance
Fifteen major properties have come out against the travel insurance that the Ministry of Tourism plans to impose on February fifteenth. On Monday, we reported that the Belize Tourism Industry Association has come out in support of the insurance that will cost each traveller approximately eighteen dollars, but will assist with their accommodation and hospital expenses if they are to contract COVID-19 and need quarantine or medical services. But according to these major hotels, the insurance puts them at a disadvantage.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
“We are trying to help to protect the industry. We have almost nine hundred properties in this country and most of them are under ten rooms, most of them are under ten rooms. Most of them after two years of being devastated by COVID are on the brink and so we have to ensure that not only the big players survive, but also the small players. We are in constant communication with the Ministry of Health, but there are many countries across the world that do require insurance to go in and that is still a reality. I’ve spoken to ministers who still have that requirement as a part of the protocols for entering their country.”
Reporter
“Are you planning on dialoguing with these fifteen hotels because they say they haven’t gotten any response from the ministry; only the prime minister has given them a response?”
Anthony Mahler
“That is not true. We’ve responded already.”