San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, has been without a Belize Tourism Board (BTB) office for over three years after it closed in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This office is essential for tour operators, tour guides, and other industry partners, and as a result, the closure has led to trips to the mainland for tourism queries. But those days are about to be a thing of the past, as on Thursday, October 5th, during a meeting with Tourism Minister Honourable Anthony Mahler, San Pedro stakeholders were informed that the BTB office would soon be re-opened.
A date for the re-opening was not indicated; however, the new location for the BTB office will be at the international arrival station on the lagoon side behind the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena. According to Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez, he has been pushing for the re-opening of this important office as San Pedro is considered the top tourism destination in Belize.
The gathering at the Sunbreeze Hotel conference room is part of a series of destination visits Mahler and his ministry currently have nationwide. The meeting provided insights and recommendations for the growth and development of San Pedro’s tourism industry.
Stakeholders shared that a BTB office on the island will help them renew their licenses and conduct other tourism matters more efficiently. Currently, these inquiries are made at the Belize City office or online, which is inconvenient for many. The island stakeholders appreciated the commitment to have the BTB office open again. They believe Ambergris Caye deserves such infrastructure and much more as it contributes tremendously to the national economy.
The BTB office was first opened in San Pedro in November 2008 under the guidance of former Area Representative and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia Jr. The historic moment, made possible by the administration under the United Democratic Party government, saw the official launch of the island BTB branch on the second floor of the San Pedro Public Library. The office of the area representative was also moved to this location. The San Pedro BTB office changed location (before it was closed in 2020) to the SanCas Plaza, which was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
