 FCCA Christmas PartyOn December 16th, 2009 the Belize Tourism Board along with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) hosted approximately 150 children at the annual Holiday Gift Project. 2009 marked the 7th year that the FCCA has donated 200 toys to the country to be distributed to the less fortunate. The event was held at the House of Culture and the children were entertained by Ozzie the Clown and then Santa presented each child with a gift. Food and drinks were also provided. The success of this event was evident in the smiles on the faces of the children as they left the House of Culture that day.
 Public Awareness: Clean Schools Competition
In furtherance of the "I AM BELIZE" public awareness campaign, the BTB launched its Clean Schools Competition. Designed to promote civic pride, the program challenges schools countrywide to demonstrate its environmental awareness and cleanliness by maintaining their campuses, keeping them litter free and painting (touching up) areas that need it.For more Information visit our website www.belizetourism.org
Visitor Survey
The Belize Tourism Board launched the 2nd and final round of the 2009 Rapid Survey at the  Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA). The first round was conducted in the low season, in August 2009. This survey is designed to quickly capture the visitor profile, activities engaged in, motivation for coming to Belize and their willingness to return to Belize or recommend Belize to another person. This is designed to be a snapshot of the Visitor Expenditure and Motivation Survey (VEMS), currently underway by the Belize Tourism Board in collaboration with the Central Bank of Belize. The VEMS is a year-long survey, conducted one week per month for twelve months at the PGIA, Belize Western Border Station (BWBS) and the Santa Elena (Corozal) Border. Results of the VEMS will become available in May 2010.
 Culinary Arts
The Belize Tourism Board in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS) conducted a Pro Chef Level 1 Certified Culinarian Program from October 6th to December 11th, 2009 in Belize City at the Institute for Technical and Vocational Educational Training (ITVET). Eleven (11) participants successfully completed the intense program specifically designed to enhance the proficiency of Belize's cooks in culinary arts, personnel management and financial administration based on the Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) Pro Chef Level 1 Certification. They will now move on to participate in the Pro Chef Level II: Chef De Cuisine Program scheduled for execution in February 2010.
 Tour Guide Training
The Belize Tourism Board has retained the services of Ellen McRae in Caye Caulker to serve as coordinator of the tour guide training course for twenty villagers aspiring to be tour guides.
Bak-A-Bush retained the services of Luz Hunter to serve as coordinator to train 13 employees to become guides, all just in time for the tourism high season.
 License Renewals
The Belize Tourism Board on a yearly basis facilitates license renewals for tour guides and operators who both need a license to legally operate in the tourism industry. As part of this yearly program, the BTB visited San Ignacio to renew licenses for the above mentioned tourism stakeholders to alleviate them having to travel to the BTB's Belize City Office. The next upcoming such visit will take place in Placencia on January 8th, 2010.
Similarly the Hotels Department has sent out letters of reminder to all hotels and tourist accommodations countrywide imploring them to renew their licenses to operate. The current hotel licenses expire on December 31, 2009. Hotel license application forms were sent along with the letters last month and if anyone requires application forms for hotel license, tour guide or tour operator licenses they can each be found on our website www .belizetourism.org.
 Tourism Security Task Force
December heralded the reinvigoration of the Tourism Security Task Force. The Belize Tourism Board in partnership with its private sector sister agency, the Belize Tourism Industry Association, co-chairs the Tourism Security Task Force. This meeting was held in preparation for the anticipated 'tourism high-season' and get updates from the participating entities on the accomplishments of the task force. The other members of the task force comprise the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defense Force, Friends for Conservation and Development, the Forestry Department and the Institute of Archaeology. Enquiries on the work of this task force can be forwarded to the BTIA who chairs this task force.
 Workshops
The Inter-American Development Bank hosted a two day workshop in to review its Tourism Sustainability Scorecard. Raymond Mossiah of the BTB's Product Development Department participated in this Cancun workshop designed to bring the private sector, public sector, tourism associations and non-governmental agencies together to review sustainability criteria for new tourism projects as well as already established ones.
BELIZE TOURISM BOARD
P.O. Box 325
64 Regent Street
Belize City, Belize
Tel: 011-501-227-2420
Fax: 011-501-227-2423
Toll free: 1-800-624-0686
Email: info@travelbelize.org
Web site: http://www.travelbelize.org
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