This gathering gives me an opportunity to give an overview of the various initiatives that our Government has undertaken since taking office in February 2008.  In our Manifesto Promise, and as repeated by our Prime Minister on various occasions, it is very clear that Tourism is a national priority.

Over a year ago, it was with extreme pleasure that I invited you, the delegates to this conference to join us in Belize as the host country of this year’s International Conference on Responsible Tourism (ICRT).

The World Travel and Tourism Council has reported that the Tourism Industry is responsible for 297 million jobs worldwide. It contributes over 8 trillion dollars to the global GDP. In Belize, over 25% of all jobs is tourism-driven or tourism-related, with the industry directly responsible for over 18% of our GDP.