Media and Tourism Industry Bridge the Gap

For weeks, there’s been talk of a disconnect between the media and Belize’s tourism industry. But today, the Belize Tourism Board says it’s clearing the air. At a sit-down with journalists, tourism leaders stressed transparency and partnership, promising to keep the lines of communication open, even when the issues are tough. Here’s what B.T.B. and the Belize Hotel Association had to say about rebuilding trust.

 

Reynaldo Malik, President, Belize Hotel Association

“I’d like to say that I did take it personal, but in a good way, in a positive way when, you know, there’s been several, some of it murmurings, but the insinuation that there is some separation between the media and the tourism industry, especially those here. And I took that personal in a positive way because perception, I believe, is nine-tenths of reality. So if the media believes that there is a separation between you guys and us, then that is something that we need to take very seriously and work at. I will say that today’s event signals that we are committed to being in a full partnership with the media.”

 

Evan Tillett, Director of Tourism

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for taking the time out to sit with us today and to have a candid conversation and we look forward to doing this again, and we will make ourselves accessible whenever the issues, whether it’s good or it’s a hard issue, we’ll make ourselves available. I think it’s important to have that transparency and we must work together and have mutual respect in terms of each other’s crafts.”