Discussions for Tourism Master Plan Underway

Mr. Michael Singh, CEO of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mrs. Tracy Panton, Director of Tourism of the Belize Tourism Board, Ms. Laura Esquivel, Director of Product Development of the BTB, and Mr. Yashin Dujon, Technical Coordinator of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation met with representatives of the International Development Bank, Mrs. Daedra Isaacs-Haylock and Ms. Michelle Lamay, and with representatives of the Emerging Market Groups to discuss plans to develop a Tourism Master Plan for Belize.

Discussions revolved around the possibility of the International Development Bank funding a loan of US$15 Million towards tourism investment in Belize. Components within the loan include writing a tourism Master Plan for the country of Belize as well as providing funding for key destinations that need their own master plan and for projects undertaken to enhance the tourism product in existing and emerging destinations.

The IDB has hired a consultancy group called Emerging Market Groups who is currently meeting with key stakeholders in the industry to assess the projects that they have going underway and those that are in the planning process. After the group has concluded their assessments, they will be providing their recommendations in reference to the terms of the loan. Said loan is to be approved by September 2008 at which point the Master Plan will be completed to run for a period of four years.