Norwegian Cruise Line going to the south?
Is there a cruise ship port of call in the works for southern Belize? Talks of a massive tourism development project, to be spearheaded by Norwegian Cruise Line, has been bubbling below the surface for the past few weeks, despite strong objection from environmentalists, as well as residents of Placencia and surrounding communities. Crawl Caye, a small, coral-rimmed, mangrove island located within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been chosen as the location for a deepwater docking facility in the Stann Creek District. The development, it is reported, will also see the construction of a world class resort and casino. In 2011, a report, commissioned by the Belize Tourism Board, presented by Seatone Consulting, indicated that such endeavor to introduce mass cruise tourism should not be undertaken in the area. That report succeeded public and private consultations with tourism stakeholders on the peninsula. This morning, a team of executives from Norwegian Cruise Line, accompanied by attorney Emil Arguelles, met with B.T.B. officials to discuss and finalize the development master plan. Several issues are being raised about the environmental impact the project would have on the protected area; including the transformation of the island from a rich marine ecosystem into a sandy beach. Of equal concern is that a green light from B.T.B. would also mean that the organization is contradicting its position on cruise tourism in the south, in spite of the findings of the 2011 report. News Five attempted to get a comment from Director of Tourism Laura Esquivel-Frampton, but we have been unsuccessful.
How much you want to bet that they will be frustrated away to !@#$ by either GOB indecision or environmentalists who want to see no development
A deepwater port in the south will change Belize’s coast and maritime resources forever — we need to have a serious, national discussion, with actual, knowledgeable experts involved.
Maybe it would be a good thing, but we can’t sell out the entire nation and its future generations so a handful of shadowy people can get rich today.
Let’s develop the country. It’s either tourism or the oil industry!
Here we go again with those environmentalists opposin everything- those expats go have succeeded abroad now wan to retire away in a third world peaceful country but don’t want it to develop so they want the natives to continue fishing for them and serving them- not to stand on their own feet- you think Florida would listen to them when they built mega Disneyland there- no the crocodiles had to move over and out. I say bring the development and the jobs and the extra cash- we surely need it down here- I’m tired of being a security guard for foreigners who act like maya beach and placencia is their sole little kingdom and we are their subjects- welcome to belize Norwegians
WE ARE LOOSING OUR NATION LITTLE BY LITTLE, BIG MONEY GOING UNDER THE TABLE !!!
WE ARE BEING SOLD…..SOLD LOCKED STOCKED AND BARRELED TO GUATEMALA AND THE RICH CHINESE, AND ALL RICH ONES THAT GIVE MONEY AS BRIBES TO ENTER THIS COUNTRY !!!
Terrence, I da wa BAWN PLACENCIAN! And mek I tell you, you da wa bloody FOOL fu tink dat dis ya cruise ship project wa mek we “STAND pan fi we own feet!” Please my bway, open yuh eyes and get real.
belize is famous for its environmental beauty. we need to capitalize on that. not sell out to the big cruise industry who builds fenced in villages that do not allow locals, controls businesses, does not employ locals and eventually local businesses go out of biz. just look at belize city. we need small biz tourism that spreads the wealth. also the govt of belize should negotiate with the airlines. right now a ticket from us to belize is more than twice the price of one to costa rica. why dat????
you fool. you can be a guard for the tour ship and see what they pay you!