Tourism wars: CEO mediates but can’t compel cruise line to retract decision
michael singh
Contention between various stakeholders within the cruise tourism industry over a much debated contract awarded by Carnival Cruise Line to Chukka/Bakabush Tours continued today with the parties involved weighing in their positions. CEO in the Ministry of Tourism, Mike Singh, for his part convened a morning press conference to clarify statements he made to News Five on Friday which were, as he said, misconstrued by the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize (FECTAB). Singh also announced that he had extended an invitation to various stakeholders to participate in a private afternoon sit-down chaired by the BTB at their offices with the hope of finding an amicable solution to the problems presently facing them. While several organizations confirmed their attendance Singh said there was uncertainty as to whether FECTAB would be attending the meeting.
Mike Singh, CEO, Ministry of Tourism
“We’ve gotten confirmation from several people including the people from the Fort Street Tourism Village, the people from Bakabush Tours and Chukka, their partner. We’ve gotten confirmation from I believe, the taxi association but FECTAB has indicated to us that they are not sure they will attend which surprises me because it seems that they are calling for discussion and dialogue but yet they are not willing to sit at the table when have spread the table and offered to become the mediator in this issue. I think our role is mediator I don’t think there is anything we can do to compel the cruise lines to make a choice in any direction, that is anticompetitive I would imagine. But I think there is dialogue that we can open up. I think we can, as I mentioned, make sure that we include in our program of activities the capacity building to assist some of the operators to ensure that they are competitive and to ensure that they are fully engaged in the marketing tactics that I think they need to do.”
Although federation members demanded an apology and retraction of previous statements Singh chose to shed light on ways in which his ministry can provide assistance in growing the industry by creating and maintaining certain standards.
Mike Singh, CEO, Ministry of Tourism
“The foreign operators that work in Belize tend to do a lot more projection of their marketing than the Belizeans do and I think that’s a place that we can help them. I also believe that there are some areas of standards that need to be upgraded. It’s hard for me to fault Carnival Cruise Lines for making a choice based on what they feel is the best choice for them unless we’re able to look at them and say look there is no difference between any of these operations. Everybody have met a certain standard that we have set. Now we have failed because we have not set standards and I think that’s the angle we need to go that we also need to establish what the standards are, make sure they meet international standards and bring our people up to meet those levels. We are competing in a global environment, it’s not just Belize, we’re not just selling service to Belizean tourists. We’re selling to a wide Diaspora of visitors and we do a great job in one and one guiding but I think as business people I think we can raise our game a bit.”
“It is not typical of any of the cruise lines to give direct contracts to the small tour operators, the taxi drivers, a specific tour guide. What they tend to do is they tend to look at various enterprises that have the capacity financially, operationally, quality-wise, training-wise to be able to group the type of tours that they want and they then subcontract. It seems to me that the group that has spoken yesterday that there’s a lot of small operators, tour guides that either way we’ve had a twenty percent growth in our business which means that as the business grows the tours are going to be sold and the tour guides are going to be hired. So whether they are hired by one enterprise or the next really is a matter of how well they are qualified or how well they present themselves to the employer. But I don’t see them having a fight, in a battle directly with the cruise line because normally they would not be contracted.”
You did a better job explaining your position today Mr Singh. While your point about the insurance & other standards that need to be met to be competitive in a Global market is valid there is still the suggestion that Belizeans are not ready to compete. Again, what is the point in offering a degree in Hospitality & Hotel Management & internship programs abroad if we are not going to take advantage of what our children are learning? If the average Belizean does not have the financial backing to put together & support a package that is acceptable to Carnival or other cruise lines, let them know where they are failing & the mortgages Mr. Finnegan’s is about to write off, demand that people pay up & use the funds to help the operators with professional skills who lack deep pockets. Co-own it if you have to but compete, The Chinese are kicking … because they invested in their own & put up front men to meet our western sensibilities. We cannot simply exclude our own, we need a seat at the table.
Second, being an employee is overrated. When Belizeans have ownership in any business, it breeds pride, the profits are more likely to be reinvested in the country and it is in our own self interest to make the country better, we do not have the option to move to Roatan, something Mr. Martin suggested may look better to the cruise operators if we dare to complain too loudly. If the option is be exploited or they will pick up their balls & play somewhere else, let them go.
We allowed Ramada to not only dictate but discriminate in their hiring practices after they were allowed in years ago, we needed the jobs. The hotel is still there under new ownership, their staff now reflects a cross section of our community. We cannot continue to tell our people that they are not good enough, we cannot have our breadwinners unemployed or under employed in order to make an investor happy because all we are doing is perpetuating poverty & if you are not aware of what the financial disparity has done to us, just drive through the city, watch the news, pick up a newspaper.
The MAIN CONCERN………….PROFITS TAKEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY, not spent in the local economy. Not good for BELIZE…….
BZNinCALI, you put it together so well. The problem is that some of these leaders we have lack the expertise and professionalism and easily give in to situations that are convenient to them.
Mek Chukka/Bakabush go somewhere else and lets help our locals to improve their service the the benefit of our belizean families.
BZNnCALI
Great response! Of seems that what we are seeing is the result of colonialism and then self hatred on top of that but you are right we news to own our own and invest in ourselves
What a sad day in Belize once again… I have been involve in tourism in all levels from selling tours in hotel lobby, being a tour guide, a tour operator and even participated in convincing some of the cruise lines about the tours in Belize they should buy. Every step of the way, we in this tough business have meet and find ways to better our standards providing quality service not just to the cruise lines but our overnight tourism sector. BTB has always participated in these training and offering thier input on how we should be proceeding towards the quality service to our visitors. So this is what confuesses me… I look at the service been offered by Bakabush tours… They uses guides that was train by a previous operator that was doing the same tours for Carnival Cruise lines that was never a problem for the Carnival before, thats why the cruise line ask for these same guides to be hired back. They did do some training, but just to let the guides know what the Jamacian investor expected from them. So notting new there. The Buses they use… How pretty they look out side I must say. But go inside.. No restroom means these passengers must wait for at lease one hour to use restrooms or the bus would have stop on the road side not good AH! Thats why I don’t believe Carnival ask them to sell anything on board the buses but instead would have ask them to put restroom instead. Thier not rain proof thats why guess complains that they should have been told to bring along thier rain coat… Bus break down.. of course this will happen when they using buses older than some of thier pasengers. What standards? I could go on and on but that would take us some time to read… Now here goes BTB chairman talk about how we in this industry needs to step up to these standards… Always wonder when we as belizean will come out of this way of believing that always someone from anywhere out of Belize always know best. Come on Mr. Singh please come real, if you had taken the time to go look for yourself on what is happenning in this industry you would not make remark about quality nor standards. It would be easier for you to just comment that “you’re looking into it” but everything you have been saying is just an insult to us belizean . Look at Cruise Solutions operations, I could remember way back in 1997 when I use to worked with that company as a free lance guide to what they are today. They now have the best operation for cruise lines in Belize and this did come from competition and form setting better standards for thier own business. Bakabush has notting over Cruise Solution. What would be interesting to watch is to see if they get other agreements from Cruise Solutions Cruise business.. If this happens BOY! that would prove what I truely believe is going on at BTB with the chairman. WHERE IS THE MINISTER IN ALL THIS?
Bzecause…bring out the clothes to hang….mek we know weh really di go on. I know I mi di smell something fishy
Why is it that we are so easily swayed and brain washed by foreigners and when our own come as in local business owners and Belizean-Americans trying to bring new business to Belize, we do not support them. Well, this is the result that we are going to get at every turn. Foreign owned business will not hire local and will hire outsiders because they can pay them less or they hire their own Our educational status and monetary value is higher than our central american, mexican and carribean neighbors, so Belizeans will not work for pittance. There are few local owned small business in Belize, most of the chicken spots, small stores, just a few examples….. are owned by who????? Stop giving away our rights and give support to those who are local Belizeans and Belizean heritage and want to develop a change in Belize. Can we do this in Jamaica, Lebonon, Israel, Cuba, Panama, Bahamas, Cayman Island, America….and many, many other countries????….these places have rules and regulations that limit foreigners from land purchasing and business ownership, so why don’t WE!.
What is needed is cheap or at least affordable loans. Our interest rates are simply impossible.
Not to mention communication costs which are ridiculous.
Tom Greenwood makes a distinction between foreigners who come to make their home in Belize, bring their family, and settle, and so do I. People who do that (like me) keep and spend their money in Belize, and Belize becomes their home – just like the Belizeans who have emigrated to and contributed to the US and UK.
Belizeans are more than able to run great tourism businesses. Who wants to stay in a place that is just a clone of a place in the US?
When we talk about tour guiding, we are talking about using the patrimony of the entire country, and the sites which are visited must be protected – that is the number one issue. We must not give our wonderful country away for cheap!
When Cuba is open for tourism, all this will be academic anyway…..
belam10110, your problem is not what foreigners are doing, it’s what your leadership is doing. In the U.S., anyone who has money (no matter where they are from) can buy anything. Urge your government to make more training, small business loans, etc. available to Belizian citizens. Many countries donate millions upon millions to the Belize government. Where is it being used? In the U.S., politicians are going to jail all the time for financial misdeeds. Belize has (I believe) some of the greatest resources (that includes people) for prosperity in the region. YOU MUST compete.
Robert, don’t be fooled by what you think you know of living in these United States not anyone can obtain a loan here either, America is for American and for those they Choose to help!, it is not as easy as it is made to beleive and as far as corruption in these United States, files are lost and cases dimissed for politician here, just as in Belize, an example, the Illinios Senator who tried to sell off Obama seat, what did they do to him, not a damn thing and it gets brushed under the rug as in many cases i as in Belize…… They get a slap on the rest or jail time served in plush jail environments and usually remanded to custody of their homes with a ankle bracelet to keep them in check, while their drivers, maids and other staff attend to their every need. Same goes for the Entertainers, unless you are of the rebel associated, namely ” rappers”! Foreigners such as the Asian countries, Russian countries, etc, etc are given a lot of slack due to their persecution and America’s interference and so called “war” type destruction in those countries. But the Central Americans, Carribeans, South Americans and Mexicans don’t get the same deal. Their is so much more red tape here for small or any type of business that you change your mind before even begin. and you have to be a Citizen in order to apply, and there are more “Green Card Holders” who are not qualified for any assistance in this country due to that status. What I am referring to is this, ” one person” can make a effort to do a small business in Belize, from their hard earned money. But Belizeans need to learn to support their own and not to run to the next novelty, and that includes the government. Yes, Belize has been given millions of dollars by foreign countries at the cost of the government selling their souls and our homeland resources. But if one starts then it trickle effect down. Urging the government’s to assist in any form is now futile and has been proven these last few years, what is needed now is for Citizens to try and make it work and form a solidarity, band together to support Belizean owned business.
Ha ha, belam10110, I don’t think we are that far from agreement. 1st: They are going to hound Blago until they have him (right or wrong). Plus, on the one conviction he’s already facing five years. Politicians must have their feet held to the fire.
No nation can prosper without competing internationally. The American workforce is not competing the way it used to because our govrnment has allowed our companies to go overseas and avoid taxes, taking away American jobs. Belize is unfettered from having their jobs go abroad while still having the ability to bring in foreign commerce in the form of industry and tourism. This is where government can help by investing in education, job stimulation, and lowering crime. It is always better economically to bring in foreign investment than to try and spread a small amount of capital among many.people. Investing in a nations citizens is the surest way to bring peace and prosperity to everyone. Unfortunately, governments have a great amount of authority to do just that. No matter how much poor people band together, they still need great inventions, know-how and capital to make things happen.
Belizeans as a whole have proved they are not ready to compete in a world market!
Take a trip as a tourist to Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Cuba, and a few other places in and around the Caribbean and you will see. They offer so much more for less. The quality, the service and the experience. Not to mention, they do it for much cheaper.
Belizeans need to show in proof they are ready to compete in a world market.
To Virginia and Jungleeducator, I agree. Pleeze Belize, get your act together. And for sure, when the Cuban tourism market opens it will spell catastrophy for Carribean countries unprepared to compete.