Belize Takes the Lead in Regional Tourism

Belize is making history in the world of tourism and it’s not just on the national stage, but across the entire region. Right now, the country holds not one, not two, but three major tourism leadership roles, giving Belize a powerful voice in shaping the future of travel in Central America and beyond. At the heart of it all is the Mundo Maya initiative, a regional effort to promote the rich cultural heritage of the ancient Maya civilization. And as Efrain Perez, President of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, explains, Belize’s leadership extends even further, holding presidencies in both the private and public tourism sectors across Central America and the Dominican Republic.

 

Efrain Perez, President, BTIA

“Our participation here as private sector, or as BTIA, certainly allows us to be part of the conversation on a regional level, for us to be able to share experiences based on our private sector interest. And so, I think that is a really good step for us; more so, because the BTIA also holds the pro tempore presidency of the Chamber of Tourisms for Central America and the Dominican Republic. So we come in representation not only nationally, but also regionally, for us to be able to have that conversation and really see how best we would be able to further develop the Mundo Maya brand and also see how we could incorporate the Central American brand within the same, both organizations at the same time. This is a very historic moment for tourism in Belize and I say that simply because of the two presidencies that we have. In fact, we have three presidencies in Belize right now. We have the pro tempore presidency for FEDECATUR which is the private sector arm of the tourism industry and that looks at both Central America and the Dominican Republic. We also have the presidency of KATA which is held by the Ministry of Tourism and that looks more on the legislative side and promotion side of tourism within the Central American region. And Belize also has currently the presidency for Mundo Maya, and so, all of these combined allows us to have a stronger voice as a country and for our private sector, this means that they would be able to take advantage much more opportunities that will arise from both organizations, the Mundo Maya and also the Central American brand.”

 

It’s a proud moment for Belize, and one that opens the door to even greater opportunities for the country’s tourism industry.