In just a few short years, Belize has become a major hub for cruise ships on Caribbean tours. And why not? With reefs on the sea, ruins inland, and so much more, Belize has got plenty to offer that tiny islands such as Grand Cayman can't. And unlikeMmexican destinations like Cozumel, we speak English. But coming with the meteoric rise to prominence, have been some growing pains. Belize's ecology is being stressed out like never before as cruise visitors swarm the sites. And it seems things are moving too fast to form a coherent national policy - so Conservation International and the Belize Tourism Board are taking a different approach. We found out more about it today.
Hon. Godfrey Smith, Minister of Tourism
"Cruise tourism is definitely an economic generator for the Belize District, for Belize City."
And while it creates jobs - it also stresses out the environment and Mayan sites, city streets, all of that.
Hon. Godfrey Smith,
"Obviously, cruise tourism has the potential of having serious negative impacts on Belize's natural heritage. Obviously our aim has to be to minimize that impact, to ensure that practices are sustainable."
And today a room full of stakeholders gathered to engage in what's called a participatory planning process. It may look like just another event where there's a lot of talk but nothing really happens. But project consultant Valerie Woods insists that its serious and result driven.
Valerie Woods, Consultant
"I think it is very timely that cruise tourism is now being engaged in this discussion but in a very practical way, not in an NGO acronym type conversation but something where we could speak in their language and say in the longer term this will benefit you financially as well as in terms of a product, we'll have a better product and the country, the destination that you depend on to bring your people, will also benefit from it and will be able to provide you that quality of experience for your visitors."
Tracy Panton, Director of Tourism
"At the end of the day we have sat in many meetings as you've said looking at the issues. This project hopes to put together actionable and implementable steps that we can take that will minimize the impact of cruise passengers on our marine resources."
Valerie Woods,
"If we get the commitment Jules and if we can demonstrate the economic value of doing it, not necessarily the right way, but a more meaningful and a better way, I think we can then begin to speak to the business investors, the developers, tour operators on why it is that we need to be doing this."
Of course, it's a little late for advance planning: half a million visitors came last year alone - and that was a down year. Cruise tourism is here and it is here in numbers.
Valerie Woods,
"Better late than never Jules. The point is that the cruise tourism is part of our tourism industry. We can continue to have workshops talking about the issues and challenges or we could try and have an approach which Conservation International has engaged the BTB on, to say we know what the issues are. We believe we know what some of the issues, let's talk about solutions but let's do it in a way that we can actually implement. No more talk shops, let's do it in a tangible, let's get it done - get an action oriented program going."
And to fast track this programme - they're miniaturizing the consultation process.
Valerie Woods,
"What we're hoping to do by breaking up the groups in different sectors over the course of the next two to three months we can actually come to some level of consensus in bite sizes and then we go after that as opposed to trying to do a whole big plan on how to manage the industry which is what they've been trying to for several years."
Trying and mostly, failing but now all in this room hope that this one is the one that will show a sustainable way forward for a cruise industry that's been slash and burn so far:
Tracy Panton,
"We have endorsed cruise tourism, it is an important component in terms of our overall tourism product and offering. The issue has always been managing of the resources, putting in the appropriate planning capacities, etc. I think it can be done."
