The Belize Tourism Expo 2004 got underway last night. The event is an annual one where travel agents get to learn first hand what the tourism produce called Belize is all about. This year scores of agents have descended on Belize and gathered today at BETEX to meet local agents and service providers who are shopping their wares. BTB's director, Tracy Panton told us that BETEX offers a unique opportunity for industry stakeholders to present their product to a wide array of possible buyers:
Tracy Panton - Director BTB
“BETEX is a trade show for our local properties and partners to showcase what they have to our international partners our travel agents, our wholesalers, and our media representatives. At BETEX we are looking primarily at the hotel properties. The major tour operators are represented there. Our airline partners our local and international airline partners and also our new destinations, places like Back-a-bush tours, the new Belize Museum, Old Belize up on 5 miles on the Western highway. Those kinds of things have been showcased. We can travel abroad and we can tell people about Belize and we can show them pictures and videos and do presentations after presentation, when you have the experience for yourself it stays with you and you are in a better postion to sell your country to your clients.”
BETEX opened last night and will run for three days. There are some 85 local hotels and operators participating. Non-registered Belizeans who want to see what it's all about can visit tomorrow afternoon for free.