On Friday, June 8, the Belize Hotel Association, at the invitation of the Belize Tourism Board, participated in a breakfast presentation to over seventy Travel Agents, Tourism Officials, Tourism Students, Press, and Media of Chetumal and the Quintana Roo region of Mexico. The event was held at the Fiesta Inn Hotel in Chetumal, from 8 AM to 11 AM. It was hosted by the Belize Tourism Board and organized by the Honorary Consul of Belize in Chetumal, Dr. Luis Montero Maldonado. The Belize Hotel Association was represented by the Marketing Director, Tessie Duran Tonaco.

The conference room was packed to capacity, with attendees who were eager to hear about all the exciting activities and destinations that Belize has to offer to the Mexican traveller.

The BHA Belize Destination videos were showcased, featuring our member hotels throughout the country. Maynor Larrieu from the Belize Tourism Board offered an in-depth explanation of each area of Belize, and all the attractions available. A question and answer session followed, of which one of the main requests was for travel agent packages to be put together, to make the process of selling Belize to the Mexican Traveler much easier.

In addition, a vacation package was raffled to the attendees, which included two nights of accommodations and tours from Black Orchid Resort in Burrell Boom, Belize, along with a Private guided waterfall tour with lunch for two from Hidden Valley Inn located in the Mountain Pine Ridge, Cayo. The Belize Hotel Association would like to thank Black Orchid Resort and Hidden Valley Inn for their generous offer, and their continued support of our marketing efforts.

The Belize representatives gave interviews to several newspapers, radio and television stations, that attended the event that morning.

A live radio broadcast of the event was aired by SQCS Chetumal FM, followed by a live interview with the Belize Hotel Association, the Belize Tourism Board and the Honorary Consul, after the event. Topics discussed included the different destinations and attractions in Belize, our promotional campaign being launched in Mexico, and the continued excellent relationship between Belize and Mexico throughout the years.

Last year, the number of Mexican Nationals visiting Belize increased by over 50% and we continue to see an upward trend. In view of this and based on a recent market study they conducted, The Belize Tourism Board has embarked on an extensive campaign in Mexico, to promote Tourism to Belize.  The Embassy of Belize in Mexico and the Honorary Consul of Belize in Chetumal are greatly supportive of this marketing effort. The breakfast presentation in Chetumal, was one of the first steps in this promotion, to be followed by press and social media campaigns in the near future.