On October 8, 2001 Hurricane Iris – a fast moving Category 4 Hurricane – struck the southern coast of Belize. The Government declared a state of emergency the same day in the southern districts of Stann Creek and Toledo where the storm damage was concentrated. While Iris did not affect the country’s main population and tourist centers, the storm was a disaster for Belize, which was already feeling the impact of reduced U.S. tourism arrivals and lower commodity prices.
Office of Evaluation and Oversight, OVE
Inter-American Development Bank
Evaluation (CPE)
Belize 1993-2003


Belize is unabashed in its quest for the eco-tourist dollar. Could the country's single-minded focus on promoting tourism, and its marine resources in particular, lead Belize to protect one of its most successful liveaboard operators, or prevent a meaningful investigation of its biggest maritime disaster?

Specific areas targeted for tourism development are the Stann Creek and Toledo districts in southern Belize, where Hurricane Iris made landfall. Coincidentally, a large cruise ship terminal is slated for construction there.

Undoubtedly, reports of maritime accidents and tourist fatalities that have occurred there are potentially detrimental to Belize's goal of increasing cruise ship traffic. Is that the reason that a search of most Belize government and tourist web sites reveals little, if no, information about Hurricane Iris and the 20 people who died when their boat capsized at Big Creek Harbor?

  • Belize's vision is to develop the tourism sector as a national priority, with a primary focus on responsible tourism, aimed at marine activities, natural history, and adventure markets.
  • Target markets include those interested in marine activities (diving, snorkeling, fishing), soft adventure (archaeology, hiking, birding, caving, natural history), families, retirees, cruise ship passengers, gaming, honeymoon/wedding, incentive/small meeting.
  • Tourism holds excellent potential as a catalyst for economic growth. For this reason, tourism must be considered a national priority. The tourism industry has strong linkages with many other sectors, drawing on inputs from transportation, food production, utilities, energy, construction, real estate, retail sales and many others. The industry is labor intensive, and is also a major source of government revenue. Tourism means business!
Belize Tourism Board
The Inter-American Development Bank is also playing a role in stimulating tourism in Belize.
  • The Bank funded three operations in support of strategic planning and marketing. The most important of these operations has been the support provided for developing the National Tourism Strategy Plan. In 1996, the Government requested assistance to carry out an assessment of the sector and prepare a long-term strategy and plan. Funded with Canadian Technical Cooperation Funds, the strategy document, prepared in close consultation with public and private industry stakeholders, was adopted and implemented by the new administration elected in August of 1998.
  • During the 1999 programming period, the Bank supported the sector through one loan and seven TC operations, six of which were directly related to the Tourism Development Project.
Office of Evaluation and Oversight, OVE
Inter-American Development Bank
Evaluation (CPE)
Belize 1993-2003

Another IDB report on the strategy for development in Belize states that:

The GoB (Government of Belize) intends to attract investments in sectors that have employment and foreign exchange potential such as in the tourism industry. It is the authorities’ intention to grant export processing zone status to those cruise ship and other tourism entities that make significant long-term investments. Of particular interest, is to develop the Southside of Belize City to build a new cruise ship terminal, and to increase tourism in the southern districts of Stann Creek and Toledo.

Inter-American Development Bank
Country Strategy with Belize


Two documents available from the BTB and the BTIA reinforce the importance of tourism as a significant contributor to the country's GDP:

Belize Tourism Sector Diagnostic Report 1998-2004 PDF (512KB)

White Paper on Belize National Tourism Strategy PDF (624KB)



Finally, blank registration forms for liveaboard yachts are readily available on the BTB web site PDF (92kb)


Sources:
Belize Tourism Board
Belize Tourism Industry Association
Hurricane Iris Rapid Health Assessment
Inter-American Development Bank


























All contents of this site © 2005 Milly Armao, except where otherwise noted.