There's no arguing with the fact that Cruise Tourism puts bread in many thousands of mouths. But now a group of underemployed tour guides and under-booked small tour operators say that the market is being smothered by a Jamaican tour company called Chukka Tours which is gobbling up the competition.
Actually Chukka Caribbean owns two thirds of a Belizean company called Bakabush tours. But they've landed some lucrative contracts particularly with Carnival Cruise line and that has put once dominant players such as Cruise Solutions and Beli-tur to the curb.
Enter FECTAB, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize. That group first came on the scene in 2005 and seems to be activated whenever there's a dispute in the cruise industry which puts certain powerful interests at a disadvantage. But today when the group gathered at the Biltmore - it's the small man and woman who were shedding real tears about how Chukka and Bakabush have put them out of work or are threatening to put them out of business.
Tour guide
"For the past 9 years I've been working in the tourism industry, Raymond Brakeman working longer than me and in all
these years we haven't had things so bad. We have 5 kids, he doesn't have a job, and I don't have a job. We want to get Chukka Cove out of here. We Belizeans have to work, we are punishing and we don't deserve this. Chukka Cove get out!
Jules Vasquez, Reporting
That was the kind of angry, emotional testament that was given today as about 100 tour guides and operators filled half of the River Hall at the Belize Biltmore Best Western today. Some were small independent operators and freelance guides, others, big fish trying to stay afloat in changing tides.
And leading the event, the president of FECTAB in his singular style:
Tom Greenwood, President FECTAB
"I am authorized to say on behalf of the federation that we consider the presents of Chukka Cove in Belize to be an insult to the people of Belize involved in tourism. We consider the statements by the CEO of Ministry of Tourism to be an abomination and need to be apologized for and retracted ASAP. The federation is also dedicated - and let me see if I have your support on this - to asking Chukka Cove to leave this country!"
And Greenwood's flair for the dramatic was never better placed than in this room where real people have had their real lives turned upside down and they said as much in gripping testimonials:
Yonni Rosado, Cave-tubing.com
"We have been pressured by a big company. I will never be here in front of a camera; we tend to get shy in front of a camera. Channel 7 and Channel 5 news, we always watch it in the evening because we aren't made for channels, we are not made for cameras, we are made for working in the caves as cavemen, I don't see today as my day of living, I see tomorrow and my tomorrow does not look great. If you look back there I have brought my team with me because this will be the last time that they are wearing my shirt because business is so bad that we have to close down our shop. I am one of the youngest probably the largest freelance tour operator, well I used to be because since Bakabush came we are no longer the largest. We are going to be in the same bucket, they are going to put us in one pigtail bucket and ship us to I don't know where."
Richard, Belize Extreme Tours
"How much are going to take, how low are we going to go before we all get up and stand up and say you know what? This is Belize, this is for Belizeans!"
And more than just pushing these operators out of Belize, those in the gathering say Bakabush gets preferential treatment:
Freelance Tour guide, Cave Tubing Specialist
"When Chukka Tours and Bakabush came in, all those companies now have completely changed. We've been slowly been put out of the tourism village and even outside of the tourism village they put barriers as to the steps that you can climb up to meet your guests as if though when the guest come out they are looking for criminals."
Tour guide, Jaguar Paw - Worked with Bakabush 9 Months
"We are going with our bus and we have been checked at every point before we left the tourism village. They come in and they check the bus, when we get at the park, they come in and check us like we are criminals, like they are looking for something. No the Bakabush busses they would not check in nor out."
They also say Bakabush with two thirds ownership form a Jamaican company is outsourcing tour guides:
Tour guide, Jaguar Paw - Worked with Bakabush 9 Months
"One of the managers came to me and told me that my service could be replaced immediately by a Jamaican. He said that each one of you has a replacement at Jaguar Paw, so what these people want to do is to bring in their own people for a cheaper labor."
Tour guide
"I think we talk about how it doesn't affect tourism because it's mostly Belizeans that can do guiding but apparently that is not the case. If Bakabush can come and just pay $40 to so called tour guides then where does the real tour guide stand? I don't think nobody else should do a tour in Belize other than Belizeans."
Yonni Rosado, Cavetubing.com
"Bakabush is taking 14 busses to the Caves Branch National Park which is Nohoch Che'en. For my tour operators they know how many tour guides they will need, 4 for 14 busses. Some of my tour guides right here and some who couldn't make it today are not working with Bakabush, so which tour guide Bakabush is using?"
Cruise Tourism Entrepreneur
"I witness this woman actually training guides on my river. Hello Miss you didn't see a crocodile so what are you going to tell the people? Find something else to talk about tour guides. And I said miss we just passed two!"
And With those concerns, the consensus was, Bakabush has to go:
Freelance Tour guide, Cave Tubing Specialist
"If Bakabush does not get out, we will have more criminals because there will be no jobs for the poor man like me, for the tour operators, for the taxi association, this company will just squeeze and squeeze until they will be nothing in the country."
Yonni Rosado, Cavetubing.com
"The point is please Bakabush get out! You are not good for our country. You are not good for our City. You are not good for the Belize Tourism Board nor the members."
Tom Greenwood, President FECTAB
"The word to the people who have come here and invaded our territory is 'you got to be careful what you do' and this is why we are demanding before any damage is done, OUT!"
And while they want Chukka to go, immediately - that company says it isn't going anywhere.
