Today, the Belize Hotel Association and the Belize Bus Association called a two-man press conference. President Ted Tejada of the B.H.A. and Thomas Shaw of the Belize Bus Association presented for about thirty minutes to the press about the closure of western border and its impact on tourist arrivals through that border. Now, if you […]
So, as you heard just now, the B.B.A. didn’t fully understand those moving parts in the travel industry. If you recall, they had agitated to close off the border to these buses through an S.I. and then about two weeks ago they asked for an amendment to allow the buses to come in for six […]
And so here they are – the B.H.A. concerned about the drop in tourist arrivals, particularly from the European market and the B.B.A. must get its act together in the next six months. Tejada says that they are doing as much as they can and Shaw says that while the demands are big the B.B.A. […]
Tourism numbers in the past three years have been showing double digit growth signalling that Belize is a top destination. Today, the Belize Tourism Board held a conference with the theme, Destination Marketing and its Impact on Belize. While the jewel is known for beach and sand, the conference is focusing on cultural emersion trends […]
Since enacting a statutory instrument on September fourth, government, as well as stakeholders in the public transportation sector, have been monitoring developments within the industry where Guatemalan and Mexican buses are concerned. On Tuesday, all sides met to discuss the existing state of affairs since the passage of legislation to regulate foreign buses entering the […]
According to AG Peyrefitte, the statutory instrument has since been amended to reflect additional changes. The revised S.I., he says, has been forwarded to Transport Minister Edmond Castro. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General “The bus owners have graciously, in a meeting on Tuesday we had with all sides, they said, “Listen, we appreciate fully the […]
A number of high profile strategists are taking part in Innovation and Tourism Talk, an event organized by the Belize Tourism and Industry Association. Stakeholders involved in tourism are getting tips on how to grow their business to reach larger markets by using Google. News Five’s Duane Moody has the following report. Duane Moody, […]
The tourism industry is a primary pillar of the economy; it creates jobs and opportunities and is a significant foreign exchange earner. An expo was held today in Belize City on the occasion of World Tourism Day. Aside from the stakeholders in the industry, we found high school students debating the values of sustainable tourism. […]
The Belize Tourism Board will be hosting the first Belize Travel Expo, called Beltravex. It is a component of its Belizean Traveller campaign which was launched in August. The campaign serves to encourage Belizeans to be tourists and experience their own country. The B.T.B. says it has been well received by Belizeans, and this Saturday, […]
As mentioned before, the expo is part of the Belizean Traveller campaign that was launched in August. During that launch, social media influencer Marilyn Vansen was presented as part of the campaign. In other words, Vansen was hired to travel the country and publish her tours on social media, a strategy employed by the B.T.B. […]
Representatives from Carnival Cruise Lines arrived in Belize today for a two-day recruitment exercise beginning on Tuesday at nine a.m. at the Radisson Fort George in Belize City. Manager of Live Music Direction for the cruise company, Brett Hedrick says that they have had a number of Belizeans who have worked with the company as […]
A statutory instrument signed by Minister of Transport Edmond Castro came into effect earlier today allowing for only one regular bus run per day from each bus line entering Belize and returning to Mexico and Guatemala. It comes on the heels of an agreement between the Belize Bus Association and government, in light of concerns […]
While the statutory instrument has been signed into effect, Castro also expressed concerns over bus operators not living up to an agreement in which they promised to upgrade their buses, as well as their transportation operations. Edmund Castro, Minister of Transport “I was also the same minister that met with them and standardized the […]
Industrial action by bus owners and taxi operators across the public transportation industry has been averted, following a late afternoon meeting with government officials in Belmopan. The sit-down began promptly at three o’clock at the NEMO Headquarters and the main item on the agenda for the Belize Bus Association was the issue of local runs […]
Thomas Shaw, President of the Belize Bus Association, says that they are satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. And notwithstanding the challenge of conforming to standards set by their competitors, several adjustments have been made in order to meet those requirements. Thomas Shaw, President, Belize Bus Association “Well yes we are satisfied, it […]
Minister of Transport Edmund Castro has been involved in the negotiations with the B.B.A. While he has championed the cause of the local tour operators, he says that the industry-wide consultations were necessary in order to acknowledge the concerns of other tourism stakeholders, including the Belize Hotel Association. He attributes the delay in arriving at […]
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Transport reported that an agreement of sorts had been reached in respect of Mexican and Guatemalan buses transiting Belize. This came in the wake of a threat of strike from local bus owners complaining that the foreign buses were allowed to travel through Belize, but the local buses could […]
A contingent of Belizean athletes left Belize without fanfare and are currently in Honduras where they are competing in the U-15 CODICADER games in Tegucigalpa. The local team is taking on mighty players from Central America in various disciplines and is putting on a big fight. Earlier today, Kenrick Gordon bested other athletes from the […]
The Belize Tourism Board officially launched its Belizean Traveller Campaign, which encourages Belizeans to be tourists in their own country. It is a joint venture between the B.T.B. and the Belize Hotel Association. The aim is to allow Belizeans to enjoy attractive discounts being offered by the industry. It is also to highlight what Belize […]
The most recent figures in tourist arrivals show that more persons are choosing Belize as their holiday destination; be it as a family, a group of friends and even honeymooners. The mid-year stats show that overnight arrivals have grown by six percent and cruise arrivals are up by ten point eight percent up to June. […]
The Belize Bus Association was able to come to an agreement with the Ministry of Transport about foreign owned buses making stops in Belize. On Tuesday, the association met with Minister of Transport Edmond Castro, as well as the Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, and other government officials. That meeting was to discuss a way forward […]
So, how will these changes take place? The B.B.A. says that the Attorney General committed to getting this done over the next few days and that it may not have to go before Cabinet to accommodate the agreed terms. The changes will come into effect by September of this year. Here’s more from the association […]
A shutdown of public transportation has been averted. The Ministry of Transport and the Belize Bus Association have reached an agreement to settle the B.B.A.’s concerns over Guatemalan and Mexican buses transiting Belize. Late this evening, we spoke with B.B.A.’s secretary Ewart Metzgen who confirmed they have been able to resolve some of the bigger […]
There have been many reports made to the Ministry of Transport about speeding on the highways and the need for monitoring and enforcement. Just last Sunday, four Belize City men perished in a fatal accident on the Philip Goldson Highway between miles six and seven; police said that speeding was a factor. Earlier today, Lorena […]
The Belize Bus Association is not happy with the foreign bus runs happening in Belize. The B.B.A. wrote a letter to the Minister of Transport to say that its members are not in agreement with the buses crossing the border and picking up passengers. They say that this is taking money away from locals and […]
