Tourism bodies say they’ll stop trips to remote Cayo sites

After a string of violent attacks against visitors to the Chiquibul and Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserves, members of the tourism industry are taking a stand. Today the Belize Tourism Industry Association, the Belize Hotel Association, the Belize National Tour Operators Association and the Belize National Tour Guides Association issued a joint press release asking their members to stop taking tourists to the remote areas in both protected areas. The move has come on the heels of a travel advisory by the U.S. State Department of Travel warning Americans of “the potential of banditry in the Caracol, Augustine and Chiquibul road areas.” The B.T.I.A.’s Marketing and Information Officer, Kurt Clare, maintains that the association’s intent is to protect Belizean businesses and their guests.

Kurt Clare, Marketing and Information Officer, B.T.I.A.
?We are not saying to the industry to not visit the entire area, just the remote areas and the isolated areas which include the Rio Frio Caves and the Chiquibul area.?

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
?Now Mr. Clare realizing that tour guides and tour operators will say, well hey, I need to make a living as well are you any at all concerned that people might go against the advice of the B.T.I.A.??

Kurt Clare
?Well most certainly they will because they need to make money indeed, and it is their business. But what we have been noticing with our members, they are mentioning that guests are cancelling rooms and reservations with them and so it means it is having a negative effect. So we must restore the safety very quickly so that both our stakeholders here and the visitors, feel safe.?

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
?What is the association recommending in making the area safer??

Kurt Clare
?Well we have been liaising with the authorities here. And we feel as though more patrols, as well as a consistent patrol and a more efficient patrol will restore safety to the area.?

The most recent attack occurred on the Caracol Road on Monday afternoon. In addition to robbing twelve tourists and three guides, the bandits also attempted to rape a female visitor. A massive search for the perpetrators was launched by the B.D.F. and Police but no arrests have been made.