By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 9, 2025
  The tourism sector earns over 40 percent of Belize’s foreign exchange and represents almost 50 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, so the Ministry of Tourism is understandably concerned about ensuring the safety of our visitors to guarantee them an enjoyable and unforgettable experience in Belize. To this end, the Belize Tourism Board hosted a National Tourism Security Summit at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City on Wednesday, October 8.
  The BTB partnered with the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defence Force and the Belize National Coast Guard to establish a Tourism Security Task Force in August, to guide the implementation of a National Tourism Security Strategy. At the summit, they discussed concrete ways to enhance safety within the sector in the coming year.
  “Safety and security are integral to tourism development and growth for Belize,” affirmed Nicole Usher, CEO of the Tourism Ministry, at the summit. “The tourism industry contributes to almost half of GDP for Belize, and every time there is a shift or a dip, we feel it across the economy. Tourism safety and security really does impact on a traveler’s decision and whether or not they choose a destination. So, for them to feel that they can come to Belize and enjoy everything that we have to offer, all of our natural and cultural assets, they also have to feel safe,” she pointed out.
  There have been many violations of BTB regulations, and other interested parties in the industry see these transgressions and report them to the BTB, which helps the authority to plan its strategy, explained BTB security specialist, Herman Blease. The BTB has enlisted the help of different agencies to address and mitigate these threats. They have to contend with “illegal tour guiding, illegal tour operations”. “NICH [National Institute of Culture and History] has problems with people going to the sites and conducting illegal tours,” Blease explained. Belize’s security forces recognize these violations of the rules as a threat to the tourism industry.
  “We only need one incident to move from what we call a high season to a slow season. … because … that incident is so bad it hurts the industry, and we then go straight into a slow season,” Blease warned. He was recalling the effects in 2019, when American Dr. Gary Swank was shot and killed while on a fly-fishing tour, which resulted in a spate of cancellations and a sudden slowdown, which had a trickle-down effect over the whole economy.
  BDF future plans and policy officer, Lt. Col Jermaine Burns, noted during his address at the summit that a symbiotic partnership has developed between the Belize Defence Force and the Police Department and the BTB. The BDF can now patrol the tourism areas more effectively, due to a new vehicle purchased with BTB support. There were a number of low-key incidents which impacted tourists and their security in the Mountain Pine Ridge area, which is one of the BDF’s biggest operational areas, and it was Burns’ responsibility at the time. Burns engaged with the BTB’s tourism security specialist to solicit their input, as the BDF was having some transportation challenges in their efforts to patrol the entire area back then. The result was the formation of the Tourism Security Task Force, which began developing different strategies to improve security in the area.
  The role of the police “is a critical one to be an important partner in the tourism industry,” Deputy Police Commissioner Bart Jones acknowledged. “We recognize that the tourism industry plays a very important role in respect to our economy. … We recognize … that little effects or little incidents can trigger or certainly impact that industry,” he noted.
  Therefore, the Police Department monitors the physical security of visitors, and also how the police interact with tour guides. The department has measures in place to ensure that the buses have the required number of guides. The department also monitors how its officers interact with persons at police checkpoints. “We recognize that it is not just the physical security, but overall security of the industry,” Jones emphasized.
  Various members of the diplomatic corps were also present at the summit and offered guidelines to manage emergencies where their citizens are involved.
