B.T.I.A. celebrating its silver anniversary

Dionne Miranda

The Belize Tourism Industry Association is celebrating its silver anniversary…that’s a big deal so the events span throughout 2010. On the twenty-fifth of each month, B.T.I.A. is hosting a special activity, starting today with the annual general meeting of its Toledo branch.  The association is looking at several areas that need to be addressed to boost productivity in the industry, in particular since the country is in the grips of an economic recession. President, Dionne Miranda, explained that the B.T.I.A. approach focuses on a master plan, crime and security, and taxation.

Dionne Miranda, President, Belize Tourism Industry Association

“As you know, with the recession on and before that actually tourism has been taking a serious brunt in Belize and despite that the tourism figures are showing that it’s not a heavy impact, the reality on the grounds of our different member throughout the entire country is saying that it’s a lot more serious than that. In fact, we are wanting for the BTB to assist us in working on some initiatives that will make an actual difference. We’ve targeted three areas, the first one being crime and security. This has been a serious area of contention for all tourism stakeholders. The next area that we need to be looking at seriously is our sustainable tourism and we’re happy to see that a master plan is being created. But after a master plan is created, it needs implementation. As you may know, twenty percent of plans that are created are what actually goes into implementation. We want to see that occur because our development is key, but it has to be sustained development, it has to work for us, we cannot be harming the exact things that are bringing people to our country. And on the third level, taxation is threatening to damage and erode at the tourism base completely. Theirs is a taxation at every level; I mean it’s at the input level, the purchasing level, at all levels and it’s affecting people being able to come to our country and for us to be able to provide the level of services.”

Delahnie Bain

“All these areas that you are looking at, they sound good but what steps are you taking to make sure that these kind of things come to fruition?”

Dionne Miranda

“The BTIA is an advocacy association, so the steps that we’re taking is really advocating for it, trying to lobby and talk to the government, speaking to the media who can actually get the word out and asking the private sector as well to join in on it because realistically, we don’t have the funding available to actually drive this.