The Belize
Tourism Board has announced that an agreement has been signed between the
Government of Belize, the Tourism Board (BTB), Investor Mr. Michael Feinstein
and the cruise tourism company, Belize Tourism Village Ltd. (BTV) for the
construction and operation of the Fort Point Tourism Village. The BTV, whose
principal is Mr. Michael Feinstein, is to purchase the property formerly housing
the Customs Department at Fort Point in Belize City. They are to invest some
BZ$10 million in a full service tourism village to include restaurant and bar
facilities, a cruise ship tender terminal, arts and crafts stores, duty-free
shopping, entertainment outlets and other hospitality facilities that cater to
cruise visitors, overnight tourists and Belizeans. The village will be the port
of entry for cruise passengers visiting the Belize District and will offer
various services to overnight visitors and Belizeans.
Phase One of the Tourism Village is to be completed by October 1, 2001 and will
include the main cruise ship tender arrival hall, a water taxi terminal and many
of the auxiliary services. By October 1, 2002, Phases Two and Three of the
project should be complete to include all other amenities.
As part of the agreement, specific concessions have been made for the cruise
industry's small operators: land taxis will be able to operate from the village;
art and craft vendors currently utilizing the Memorial Park will be provided
special booths; and, the BTV will not be permitted to compete directly with the
industry's current stakeholders. The BTB will retain its
regulatory functions for the cruise industry such as the fixing and collecting
of cruise taxes, negotiating with ships to call on Belize and enforcing the
National Cruise Ship Policy. A BTB representative will also sit on the BTV's
Board of Directors. Receipts from the sale of the property, as well as a share
of the revenues from the cruise tax will allow for the BTB to further invest in
promotion and tourism product development. Belize is
expected to host some 55,993 cruise ships passengers in 2000, a 64% increase
from 1999 and the highest number ever to come ashore. Also 163,639 overnight
visitors arrived in Belize during the period of January to October, an 8.9%
increase from 1999. With the growth in cruise arrivals and overnight tourists
expected to continue, the Village is considered by the government and the BTB to
be a crucial step in making Belize a more competitive cruise and overnight
tourism destination.
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