Belize Advances Tourism Opportunities With SICA

The Central American Council of Tourism Ministers hosted its 74^th Ordinary Meeting in Panama, April 21^st to 23^rd, 2010. The participating Belize delegation included the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation & Culture, Hon. Manuel Heredia, the Director of Tourism, Seleni Matus and Marketing Officer, Jordana Riveroll.

The meetings focused on regional Marketing initiatives such as the Central American Travel Market (CATM) now in its seventh year which is being co–coordinated by host country Guatemala with the assistance of the six other Central American countries. Belize's participation is currently being organized by the BTB and the BTIA.

At the meeting, Belize's Minister of Tourism, Hon. Manuel Heredia, tabled Belize's working relationship with CATA (the Central American Tourism Agency) as the body responsible for marketing the Central American region in Europe and Asia. The objective was to seek greater areas of collaboration with CATA in strengthening marketing efforts in the European market. As a result, CATA will be traveling to Belize shortly to meet with the Belize tourism public and private sectors in an effort to work in a more collaborative approach and to leverage our marketing investment as a destination and region.

The meetings also provided Belize with an opportunity to present its new Director of Tourism to its Central American partners.

Results of tourism related studies conducted in Central America were analyzed and interpreted, new marketing strategies and their implementation were discussed. Advances on the organization of the Central American Travel Market Fair (CATM) to be celebrated in Guatemala in October of 2010 were also highlighted.