Last week Friday, we told you how a resort owner in San Pedro wanted to hold the biggest gay pride event in Belize yet. He's doing it purely for the financial gain he's seeing, but already, it has provoked the ire of some leaders in the church.
They see it is another attempt by pro-LGBT persons to try to get the idea of being openly gay in Belize as the norm. So, what does the resort owner have to say about the accusations? Well, that's what we asked him this weekend when he made himself available to us for an extended interview. Daniel Ortiz reports:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
Caribbean Villas Hotel...It's an attractive getaway on the Southern Edge of San Pedro Town which offers guests comfortable - if not plush - accommodations, pool side activities, and 250 feet of beachfront access to the sea.
The resort is equipped with its well-known Amber Beach Bar and Grill, and the Belize Sailing School has set up shop on its beach, where guests can learn different sailing techniques.
And, of course, there is the usual menu of diving at world renowned sites such as the Blue Hole, or inland attraction such as cave tubing or the Maya Ruins - in short, a guest can access just about everything they want from the Belizean experience
With all that activity, one would think that its owners would be satisfied with the tourist experience it is offering to its guests.
But, not so for British Belizean owner Peter Lawrence. He's decided to conduct a social experiment to see if it can reap a sufficient financial reward. He's tailored a vacation package to the LGBT population in the international communities.
Lawrence wants to tap into a market that no other hotelier has tried to penetrate before.
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"We've always wanted to get into the LGBT market because I can see that being a tremendous boom for the Belize economy. Tourism will eventually level out, unless we look for different markets and having a great market and not going for it. I am a major proponent for gay marriage."
Lawrence says he had this idea for a while now, and tried to realize it, but his partner backed out fearing the social consequences.
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"A couple of years ago I was building a gay hotel with someone else who then became homophobic and decided that he didn't want to have any gays in his hotel. So he now owns his own hotel and we separated."
So, this time around, his new partners are fully supportive of this pilot project of his
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"We built the rooms and we have a very good reputation here in Belize. We have a very exciting resort and we decided it was time that we would go after my ideas some years ago to go for the LGBT market."
So, that takes us to this new vacation package, Temptation Island Pride Week Vacation, touted in the hotel's PR campaign as the "Biggest LGBT Pride Event in Belize's History". Lawrence has big plans for gay guests who take him up on the offer to come to Belize from September 5th to the 12th.
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"I believe there was one. They had a very quiet one that was done by word of mouth. I think people should be proud of what they are. So, I want everybody to be able to come here, be who they are and so that we have something that they can really enjoy. We have up to 250 people in every party and we are having a masquerade ball, which is prove to be a huge thing. I mean we are going to be flooded for that particular event. We have leather and lace ball. We have a runway with models. Most of the participants will be from the people who are staying with us. We have a toga party and we have a white party. But this is going to be all inclusive, so the people who come here will have all. Local drinks will be part of their package. Three meals a day and all the parties will be at night."
So far, the promotion hasn't quite caught on fire, but there are 6 rooms booked already
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"We have 6 rooms booked already, but we obviously want to sell out, because we want people to know from - and we are targeting mainly North Americas and Canadians at the present moment. Although we have had interest from the United Kingdom and Europe. I mean obviously will come in - Guatemala. We just want people to come here and have a really good time and we are reaching out to travel agencies and local travel agencies where we will pay commissions for them to bring their guests to here"
"There is a gay pride week in Toronto. We have people working out there at the present moment in time and then we are going to Minnesota, where we are advertising there. We have a number of travel agencies we are working with already. We hope to have some blessings while we are here. We are looking for sponsorship, where people can come in and promote their own products. We want people to come and visit us and we don't mind - we might do a heterosexual week. We are generally a hotel where we want everybody to have a good time. Our idea is to see if we can full the hotel. We can make it cheaper for everybody to stay here by making it all inclusive. Because there are no all-inclusive in Belize."
Daniel Ortiz
"What will be your measuring stick of success?"
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"My measuring is that everybody who comes, leaves happy and says wow what a wonderful time. That's our only thing. It's not all about money. Yeah, it helps, because I have to pay for this. Let's face it, I don't think anybody on this island - I think they want it. They want more people to come here because their income goes up. The more tourist we get, the money trickles down. From the hotel we hires more staff and so it's a tremendous market that has never been hit in Belize, but if you look in Mexico, in some place in Guatemala, Honduras - they are going this way. We need to get on the bandwagon and give people a really time. Let's face it, we have the best diving in the world and people want to come down here. But they also want to associate without the stigma. Last week we had 4 rooms that were gay and they had a great time. In fact they are thinking of coming back for the party."
And the price for a weekend of unabashed gaiety?
Peter "Pedro" Lawrence - Owner, Caribbean Villas Hotel
"The price is $2,200. That's the starting price. There are a number of packages, but most of the people are going to get to the island by themselves, we will help them come by ferry or by plane. In reality its $2,200 per person where they get obviously the room, all the parties - everything and of course there will be 3 meals a day with their wines, vodkas, rums and soft drinks and throughout the night in the parties there will be snacks always available going on until 2am in the morning."
If this event goes off well, Lawrence wants to hold 18 more events of a similar nature. He's looking to craft vacation packages to cater to both LGBT persons as well as heterosexuals, as well as vacationers who don't worry much about sexual orientation.
