And while sargassum affects locals and visitors, one development that promises to forever change the face of Belize City Tourism is the Cruise Port at the Port of Belize. It has received environmental approval, but finding the 450 million US dollars and the strategic partners is another story completely.
It would profoundly impact the city - and the Deputy Mayor says they have been getting ready:
Eluide Miller, Deputy Mayor of Belize City
"I must say that the Port of Belize and the entire technical team that is responsible for this project has kept us engaged. We have been participating in the consultations. I personally attended the most recent consultation they had at the Biltmore."
"And so we remain engaged on that level. But as you have highlighted, we are the closest level of government to the people. And so we have an extremely important role to play in this. And so we continue to engage with the residents and we continue to engage with those that have been made responsible for this project as well."
"But we are extremely excited about the project. It's a huge kind of investment being made in Belize City. It will definitely see improved infrastructure for the immediate community. And it is, of course, just another one of those exciting developments and infrastructural developments coming to Belize City."
"We have the replacement of the Belcan Bridge, replacement of the Swing Bridge, we have the Seawall reconstruction project in the lighthouse era being taken on by the Belize Tourism Board and we remain happy for their support on that project and for really leading that project."
"And so we have very exciting times ahead."
Reporter
"There was a concern from some entities that there was not actual proper consultation with the public about that project. Do you consider that to be the case or what are you hearing on the ground?"
Eluide Miller, Deputy Mayor of Belize City
"Yeah, I haven't heard those sentiments being shared by the residents on the ground. But as you have correctly stated, that point was brought across in the consultation held at Biltmore recently. But that would be for the technical team managing the project to determine in terms of the amount of residents in the area and the necessary sample size that they have to interview in order to execute the project or to get a response that is reflective of the wider community."
The cruise port would take three to four years to complete.
