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BTB clarifies position regarding Belize City Council
The Belize Tourism Board met in an extraordinary session late yesterday
to carefully consider a request from the Belize City Council for
additional financial support and to determine the way forward with the
full execution of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the
Belize City Council and the Belize Tourism Board on September 8, 2006.
This Memorandum of Understanding was executed to provide assistance for
immediate infrastructural needs of the cruise sector. It should
be noted, that since March of 2006 the Belize Tourism Board has
disbursed to the current City Council a total sum of $250,882.48 from
the Board’s recurrent budget. Of this amount $109,990.00 was
advanced to the City Council to mobilize specific tourism related
projects.
The Belize Tourism Board recognizes that Belize City is currently the
only entry point for cruise ship passengers and that there are
associated costs in ensuring the visitor experience is safe, pleasant
and enjoyable. The Board also recognizes that as the cruise
sector continues to develop there is a need to determine a long-term
solution to address the City’s infrastructural and management
requirements. The Board will work with all relevant parties to
that end.
With the personal assurance of the Leader of Opposition on behalf of
the Belize City Council to have the Memorandum of Understanding
normalized and a Craft and Vendor Market built, the Belize Tourism
Board has agreed to make an additional disbursement to the City Council
by the end of this week. This will be followed as early as possible
with further disbursements to the Council, based on the Belize Tourism
Board’s cash flow projections and the implementation of the Craft and
Vendors Market.
The Belize Tourism Board is committed to fulfilling its
responsibilities to both the overnight and cruise tourism sectors for
the further development of tourism in Belize. It does not condone
any actions that may potentially destabilize the industry. To do
so would come at great costs to the thousands of people who make their
living from tourism and would jeopardize the millions of dollars
invested in this important economic sector.
For further information please feel free to contact the Belize Tourism
Board at telephone 223-1910 or 223-1913 or via email at btbb@btl.net
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