Can Belize Sell Itself as Paradise Amid Scourge of Violence?
Belize is spending time and money selling paradise overseas, but the headlines coming from home could complicate that pitch. Over the past week, tourism delegations have promoted the country’s beaches, rainforests, culture and adventure experiences at major trade shows in London and Taiwan. At the same time, violent crime has pushed parts of Belize into a state of emergency. In today’s digital world, travelers see more than glossy advertisements. A quick online search can place stories about shootings, murders and gang violence alongside images of Belize’s most popular attractions. So, can the country convince visitors that it remains safe and welcoming while confronting a surge in crime? We put that question to Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“There are so many things that can affect the tourism industry. But we continue to move along. Crime is one of them. And I’ve spoken to the Prime Minister, I’ve spoken to the Minister responsible for police and we want to do our part. We help sponsor the tourism police unit. We have a concierge unit that works primarily in Belize City right now. We’re looking to expand that. I can’t underscore the importance of a destination feeling safe. The perception out there is that Belize is not a safe destination but there is only a small portion of Belize that’s afflicted by this crime and violence that we see. For the most part, and if you look at Belize in its totality, Belize is a safe destination. But that’s not to say that we don’t need to do more and we will do our part as an industry to support the policing efforts that are taking place. If you say you are a patriot, if you say you love your country, then just don’t post that on Facebook or some social media platform. Live it every day. If you say you love your country, if you say you love your people, then man, make we stop kill ourself like we’re doing. I mean, there’s no place where I – Belize is the greatest country on earth but our people need to get an awakening because there are so much things that we do to ourselves, right.”
Since the State of Emergency declaration, travel advisories have been issued by governments of Belize’s two most important tourist base, the United States and Canada.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.