Tourism Minister Weighs in on Messy Cruise Tourism Development

Anthony Mahler

This morning on Open Your Eyes, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations Anthony Mahler also weighed in on the chaotic state of cruise tourism development in the country.  As we’ve reported, Mahler and Minister of State Chris Coye have been tasked with meeting with Portico, Royal Caribbean and Boskalis to revisit the controversial Definitive Agreement.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations

“As you know, this has been in turmoil for many years.  To me it is unnecessary I think that if you look at the makeup of the cruise sector, you have a few major players internationally and they work with the region.  And so, we have a growth path and the cruise lines are saying that the bigger ships, in no way or form, they would want to tender.  And so, even though I support the Stake Bank project I think in the interim that will have some issues down the road if they don‘t get the causeway.  Now which of the other two will be built, it looks like Port of Magical, the people behind that development have mustered up the financing to start a project and to get it going.  And so, if we don‘t get a docking facility soon, we‘ll definitely see the numbers going down.  We have ships that are able to call, that should be calling on Belize but can‘t because they can‘t dock and the cruise lines, somewhere around nine or ten thousand passengers, plus two-five, three thousand crew, if you have two of those ships dock in harbor in one day, you understand…”

Isani Cayetano

“You can understand the economic stimulus as well, in terms of money to be made.”

Anthony Mahler

“Agreed.  And so, it is urgent that we get at least a docking facility so that we can accommodate those bigger class ships.”