It's called a cruise conversion program, where cruise ship companies try to encourage their travelers to return to destinations as overnight visitors. It's a way for the hugely profitable cruise industry to try and make up with the overnight interests in Caribbean destinations. The way it presently goes is that the cruise companies flood those destinations with their visitors who just pass through and don't spend a dollar at overnight destinations. Now, those cruise companies have engineered a programme that will give something back to the overnight interests.
It's a promotional plastic coin which tells cruise visitors about a website which offers overnight discounts at that destination. Here in Belize to sell the programme is Florida Cruise Association President Michelle Claire who presented it to stakeholders today. Her local counterpart is the President of FECTAB, the local cruise interest umbrella group Tom Greenwood and he says it's a way of offering the overnight industry an olive branch.
Tom Greenwood, FECTAB President
"This is the olive branch and we hope that hanging on the olive branch will bring some recovery, because we must recognize my friend that it's touted that the overnight industry spends $900 million. I haven't had a doubt about that, seeing some of the most splendid places all over Belize, and we can't allow that to go haywire, that would not be good; not in the least bit. So yes, olive branch, I hope its one heck of a large olive branch."
The programme is proposed as a partnership but today it sounded more like one hand clapping as there were no more than two overnight tourism owners attending today's open session, and we did not note any executive members of the Belize Hotel Association.
