B.T.B. National Tourism Award Winner

Award shows are not common place in Belize but the Belize Tourism Board (B.T.B.) has been recognizing the efforts of those within the industry for close to a decade.  Last night at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza, more than a dozen awards were bestowed on outstanding individuals and organizations across the full gamut of the sector. News Five’s Isani Cayetano made the red carpet trek and filed this report.

Isani Cayetano, reporting

Over the years tourism in Belize has blossomed into a multimillion dollar business transforming what was once a tropical hideaway into an ideal destination for backpackers and cruise tourists alike.  Despite the overwhelming importance placed on developing and strengthening the tourism product investors remain fully aware of the effort that goes into making this service industry what it is.  In 2000 the Belize Tourism Board launched the National Tourism Award, an initiative that sets out to recognize the hard work of the industry’s many stakeholders.

Selenie Matus, Director of Tourism

selenie matus

“This is Belize’s premier event really to celebrate the great accomplishments of the tourism industry.  It’s held annually and really it’s been for the past ten years recognizing all the great work and achievements that our industry have.  So we recognize the best of the best across eleven or so categories.”

The awards ceremony, with its many categories, also recognizes individual achievement.  Eloy Quevas, a tour guide with Monkey River Retreat won the sought-after prize for Tour Guide of the Year.

Eloy Quevas

Eloy Quevas, Tour Guide, Monkey River Retreat

“This is a very, very special moment for me right now.  I have won awards before but to me this one is the greatest that I have ever achieved because this to me is a very, very special award.  You know I have been in the tourism industry for the past eighteen years; work very hard, share my knowledge with hundreds of people in southern Belize and this to me feels like the greatest award I have ever won.”

The highlight this year however was a win for the documentary Three Kings for the Cultural Award of the Year.  It was a solemn moment for those in attendance as the honor comes a few days after the passing of Mister Peters, one of three legendary Belizean musicians featured in the biopic.

Greg Vernon, Director, I.C.A.

greg vernon

“It is a very beautiful award.  It shows the dynamics that Mr. Peters and Paul Nabor and Mr. Florencio Mes can put in to what they are doing.  It shows a generation of three people that has brought music to where it is today and it shows the youth that with good presentation, good promotion, good stage personality that you can achieve.  And it shows that with a good direction from a producer or direction from a filmmaker you can be able to achieve and also be able to come out with something achievable.”

Equally achievable but highly desirable is the Frontline Person of the Year Award.  Benjamin Awe walked away with the prestigious title which he says is an incentive to continue being the face of Chaa Creek and the tourism sector.

benjamin awe

Benjamin Awe, Winner, Frontline Person of the Year

“Definitely it’s a great motivational piece.  It also forces one to stay at a certain level or get better than and so perhaps in that sense then I’m in the hot seat now to do, to keep up what I’ve been doing and probably to do even better which is my hope.”

According to Matus when it’s all said and done the idea is to acknowledge the players in the industry at all levels.

Selenie Matus

“At the end of the day we’re really looking to salute those leaders, champions of the tourism industry that have really helped us attain a certain level of standing in the global marketplace and as you know people come to Belize to experience our wonderful cultural and natural environment but also for the people and so the people are really at the core of the tourism product and so what we intend to do tonight is salute all those great people.”

The National Tourism Awards is one of several activities organized by B.T.B. to draw attention to the tourism industry; one of several top foreign exchange earners for the country. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

In a new category, Hopkins Village in Stann Creek was crowned Destination of the Year.