In order to continue building on the strong partnership between the tourism private and public sectors and to maintain open and frank dialogue with the stakeholders, Hon. Godfrey Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, met with the Executive Boards of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) and Belize Hotels Association (BHA) on Thursday, January 20th, 2005.

Issues discussed with the key tourism leaders included Tourism Training, Park Entrance Fees, Border Management, Marine Protection, Infrastructure Development, Overall Tourism Industry Performance, Safety and Security, as well as instituting the appropriate management mechanisms for the Cruise sector.

Minister Smith recognized the success of the collaborative marketing efforts between the private and public sectors in building the awareness of Belize as a preferred adventure destination to the markets targeted. He outlined the importance of the need of the industry to focus on the proper management and regulation in an effort to ensure optimum visitor satisfaction and value-for-dollar spent on the Belizean tourism experience.

Members of the Executive Board of the BTIA and BHA welcomed the Minister aboard and expressed their willingness to provide their full support in furthering tourism development.