BTB hosts 11th Annual National Tourism Awards

San Pedro shone once again at the BTB Awards. Tourism stakeholders and special invited guests were at the Old Belize venue on Wednesday night (June 8) to honor outstanding businesses and individuals in the tourism industry.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is one of the premier tourism destinations in the country, and as such, there were several nominees from La Isla Bonita. Following are the San Pedro recipients, as well as the remaining winners of the night.

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice: San Pedro, Top 25 Destinations in Central/South America

Enes Ramirez (Anderson), Tour Guide of the Year

Minister's Choice: Romel Gomez Sr (Rubies' Hotel)

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice - The Phoenix:

Best Service in Central/South America

Relaxation & Spa in Central/South America

TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice - Xanadu: Best Service

Umalali

Special Recognition Awards went to Fort Street Tourism Zone's Giddyup Horse & Carriage Tours, and the Hair Braiding Association (Ruth Smith & Carol Jones).

Lifetime Achievement: Placida Leonora Requena nee Guerrero of Requena Charter Service in Punta Gorda.

Hotel of the Year: Chaa Creek, Cayo District

Frontline Person of the Year: Althea Scheble, Chabil Mar Villas

Restaurant of the Year: Maya Beach Hotel Bistro, Placencia

Small Hotel of the Year: Table Rock Jungle Lodge, Cayo District

Tour Operator of the Year: Avadon Divers, Placencia

Bees cause RC School Students to be evacuated

Students at the San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) were seen walking in file formation heading out of their school grounds. But there was no special activity planned. The reason was BEES! At least one student was stung, leading to the evacuation of well over 800 students from the school compound.Staff from the nearby offices were evacuated as well.
School officials informed the public health department that bees were seen in the school compound, and when the relevant authorities arrived, they discovered the bee hive inside the space separating the first floor (public library) and the second floor (housing the BTB and the Minister of Tourism's Office) of the building located opposite the school.


According to San Pedro RC School Principal Roxanne Kay, it took the teachers about 20 minutes to get all 800 students off the compound to the central park.
While the bees are exterminated, a section of the street leading to the area is closed to the public.

Tourism Ministers of Guatemala and Belize meet in San Pedro

The Minister of Tourism of Guatemala, Honorable Dr. Jorge Samayoa and the Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. met today. The meeting was a part of a courtesy call made by Samayoa to Heredia at his San Pedro Town Office. The Guatemalan Minister was accompanied by the Head of Marketing for Tourism Sylvia Paiz de Estrada and the Central American Integrated System (SICA) Executive Director Mercedes Melendez de Mena.
The delegation of three met with Minister Heredia, who was accompanied by the Chairperson of the Belize Tourism Board of Directors Miriam Roberson, Director of Tourism Selenie Matus and recently appointed Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Tourism, Lindsey Garbutt.
In November, Minister Samayoa was appointed as the Minister of Tourism of Guatemala. He is scheduled to take over the SICA Pro Tem Presidency of Tourism Ministers early next year, a position currently held by Minister Heredia. Both Ministers and their teams met behind closed doors where a number of issues were discussed.
In a brief interview with Minister Heredia, he said that Minister Samayoa visit is part of his planned visits to all Central American Tourism Minister. The visit is ahead of taking the Pro Tem Presidency of SICA Tourism Minister early next year.
Following the courtesy call Minister Heredia hosted the delegation to lunch.

STP sets the stage for San Pedro Water Front Transformation

Contract signed with local architectural firm

Press Release – Government of Belize – July 27, 2010 - Under the Sustainable Tourism Program, over Bz$6 million of IDB (International Development Bank) funding, will be invested in a boardwalk stretching 2000 linear feet along the water-front and transforming the back lagoon area of San Pedro Town. The development will incorporate a multipurpose pier housing international and domestic water taxi terminals and small scale shopping. A destination for tourists and locals, the boardwalk will be designed to promote an atmosphere of leisure and relaxation; maintaining the identity of San Pedro Town, while revitalizing the surrounding area.

Local architectural firm International Environments (IE) Ltd. based in Belize City was awarded the contract for the deasibility, planning and design of the Sunset Pier and Boardwalk based on the strength of their technical and price proposals. Today Principal Daniel Arguelles signed off on the Bz $482,500.00 agreement with the Ministry of Tourism and the Belize Tourism Board. IE was one of the 12 firms from the local and international arena who expressed an interest in this challenging under-taking. Their experienced professionals have stated a strong commitment to developing a driver of future economic growth for San Pedro Town, creating further commercial and tourism opportunities and encouraging local ownership of the development.

IE’s team will carry out detailed marine and geotechnical investigations, social environmental studies and economic analysis, contributing to the final blueprints. A manual will also be developed to guide sustainable operations thus ensuring an efficient and successful public amenity for the future. The planning phase will span 5 months, setting the stage for construction to begin early next year.

For more information about the program please contact the Project Coordinating Unit at info@sustainabletourismbz.org or visit the STP website www.sustainabletourismbz.org.

The 10th Annual BTB Tourism Awards - the winners..

On Thursday, June 10, 2010, the BTB held it's tenth annual Tourism Awards ceremony honoring those exceptional service providers in the tourism industry. The Best Western Biltmore Plaza was the venue for tourism stakeholders, nominees and invited guests.

After a brief welcome, the national anthem and invocation, the awards were announced and the winners are as follows:

Cultural Award of the Year:
Three Kings of Belize

Other Finalists: Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project, Governor General of Belize, Battle of the Drums Competition and Show (PG)

Frontline Person of the Year:

Benjamin Awe (Chaa Creek)

Other Finalists: Natalie Ranguy (Chabil Mar), Patricia Rodriguez (San Ignacio Resort Hotel), Jubalos Kib (Seaside Cabañas)

Tour Guide of the Year:

Eloy Quevas (Monkey River Retreat)

Other Finalists: Rudolf Thompson, Dwayne Young (Joy Tours), Mauricio Aguilar (Lamanai Outpost Lodge), Luis Godoy (Belize Nature Travel)

Small Vendor of the Year:

Tutti Frutti Ice Gelateria

Other Finalists: Cotton Tree Chocolate, Sings Gift Shop (Belize City), Maya Ant & Bee (Punta Gorda)

Restaurant of the Year:

Blue Water Grill (San Pedro)

Other Finalists: Bonefish Grille (Singing Sands Inn), Red Ginger (The Phoenix), French Connection (Placencia)

Receptive Service of the Year:

Museum of Belize

Other Finalists: ambergriscaye.com, Le Petit Cafe, Island Adventures Golf Cart Rental

Environmental Organization of the Year:

International Center for Responsible Tourism (ICRT - Belize)

Other Finalists: Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE), Placencia Moorings Masters, Southern Environmental Association

Small Hotel of the Year:

The Lodge at Big Falls

Other Finalists: Seaside Cabañas, Villa Boscardi, Black Orchid Resort

Tour Operator of the Year:

Caves Branch Adventure Company

Other Finalists: Avadon Divers, Grumpy & Happy Enterprises, Searious Adventures

Hotel of the Year:

Jaguar Reef Lodge

Other Finalists: Xanadu Island Resort, Ka'ana Boutique Resort, Chabil Mar Villas

Destination of the Year:

Hopkins, Stann Creek

Other Finalists: San Pedro - Ambergris Caye, Placencia - Stann Creek, San Ignacio - Cayo

Minister's Award:

Brian Young Sr.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Celi McCorkle, Holiday Hotel

Special Awards:

Green Globe Recognition:

Chaa Creek, Hamanasi Lodge, Xanadu Resort (San Pedro)

Ingrid, Martin and Blanca of Xanadu Resort in San Pedro

Rudolf Thompson - CPR saved a life

Congratulations to all winners and nominees!!

...and the BTB Tourism Awards Finalists are:

Environmental Organization of the Year
An organization that is a leader in the conservation and preservation of Belize's natural resources; practices sustainable management of Belize's natural resources, supports community development and promotes public awareness and education of environmental preservation.

International Center for Responsible Tourism (ICRT - Belize) - *FINALIST*
Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) - *FINALIST*
Placencia Moorings Masters
Southern Environmental Association

Receptive Service of the Year
A tourism business entity that offers exceptional service to customers, the ability to manage a business seamlessly, is sensitive to the needs of staff, flexible in adapting to change and accommodating to the industry's needs and offers an authentic Belizean experience.

Museum of Belize - *FINALIST*
Ambergriscaye.com - *FINALIST*
Le Petit Café
Island Adventures Golf Cart Rental

Hotel of the Year
A licensed hotel that offers a gateway to paradise, where service exceeds excellence, engulfed with positive attitude and attentiveness of staff, offers exceptional value for money, has outstanding facilities and amenities, remarkable ambiance, innovation and the ability to provide visitors with a true sample of the Belize brand.

Xanadu Island Resort - *FINALIST*
Jaguar Reef Lodge - *FINALIST*
Ka'ana Boutique Resort
Chabil Mar Villas

Small Hotel of the Year
A licensed small hotel that captures the essence of warmth and homeliness, displays customer - service excellence, utilizes environmental best practices and sound management.

Seaside Cabanas - *FINALIST*
The Lodge at Big Falls - *FINALIST*
Villa Boscardi
Black Orchid Resort

Tour Operator of the Year
A licensed tour operator that offers a variety of tours which excels in service, product innovation, marketing, creativity, uniqueness, safety, reliability and value for money.

Caves Branch Adventure Co. - *FINALIST*
Avadon Divers - *FINALIST*
Grumpy & Happy Enterprises
Searious Adventures

Tour Guide of the Year
A licensed tour guide with a wealth of knowledge, has the ability to mesmerize an audience, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, positive attitude, creativity and the ability to provide world-class tour experience.

Eloy Quevas (Monkey River Retreat) - *FINALIST*
Rudolf Thompson (CPR saved a life) - *FINALIST*
Dwayne Young (Joy Tours)
Mauricio Aguilar (Lamanai Outpost Lodge)
Luis Godoy (Belize Nature Travel)

Frontline Person of the Year
A frontline employee who has unmatched interpersonal skills, the ability to welcome guests with great Belizean hospitality, is well versed about the Belize product and provides a memorable experience.

Benjamin Awe (Chaa Creek) - *FINALIST*
Natalie Ranguy (Chabil Mar) - *FINALIST*
Patricia Rodriguez (San Ignacio Resort Hotel)
Jubalos Kib (Seaside Cabanas)

Cultural Award of the Year
A person or organization that exemplifies Belizean entertainment, is instrumental in the creative arts, and/or music, food and promotes and preserves Belize's cultural heritage.

Three Kings of Belize - *FINALIST*
Umalali: The Garifuna Women's Project - *FINALIST*
Governor General of Belize
Battle of the Drums Competition and Show (PG)

Small Vendor of the Year
A small vendor who offers creative and quality products and provides value for money with exceptional service.

Tutti Frutti Gelateria - *FINALIST*
Cotton Tree Chocolate - *FINALIST*
Sing's Gift Shop (Belize City)
Maya Ant & Bee (Punta Gorda)

Restaurant of the Year
A restaurant offering a dining experience and not just a meal or a routine. Here, the ambiance is bliss, the menu offers diversity and the service is great. The personality of the restaurant is as distinct as the staff is professional.

Blue Water Grill (Sun Breeze Hotel) - *FINALIST*
Bonefish Grille (Singing Sands Inn) - *FINALIST*
Red Ginger (The Phoenix)
French Connection (Placencia)

Destination of the Year *New*
This destination is proactive in terms of marketing, product enhancement and sustainability initiatives. In addition, customers rave about their satisfaction levels and high service standards found throughout. Events and attractions are bountiful while both the tangible and intangible product offering contribute to the lure, comfort and convenience of all who visit.

Hopkins, Stann Creek - *FINALIST*
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye - *FINALIST*
Placencia, Stann Creek
San Ignacio, Cayo

In Addition, there will be two more awards, for which no nominations were requested, namely:

Minister's Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

Toledo Cacao-Fest 2010

Chocolate aficionados from all corners of Belize and beyond migrated to the southern end of Belize last weekend to attend the fourth annual Toledo Cacao-Fest in Punta Gorda.
The festival, organized by a group of volunteers from the Toledo community,including Ya’axche Conservation Trust,Toledo Cacao Growers Association,BTIA Toledo,Sustainable Harvest International,Punta Gorda Town Council and with support and assistance from National Institute of Culture and History (NICH),the Institute of Creative Arts, the Institute of Archaeology, the Belize Tourism Board, Love FM, Tropic Air and BRC Printing offered a weekend full cacao celebration as well as promoting other tourism opportunities in the district.

The festival kicked off on Friday night the 21st with a Wine & Chocolate Reception. Guests tasted chocolate samples from Belizean producers Goss, Cotton Tree and San Pedro’s own Kakaw. Kakaw proprietor Chris Beaumont was on-hand to showcase a decadent chocolate fountain where guests could sample a variety of fresh tropical fruits drenched in melted chocolate, yum!
Saturday the Taste of Toledo was an all day beachside affair featuring arts,crafts, music, dance, food and more. The festival moved to the nearby Labaantun ruins on Sunday where an opening performance of the Monkey Dance was staged by the villagers of San Jose. Archaeological presentations were held throughout the day and the event ended with a concert with the “Three Kings of Belize”, Paul Nabor, Florencio Mes and Mr. Peters accompanied by Carlos Perrote

Read more in our Visitor Guide this week:

Vote for the Stars of Belize Tourism!

Vote by midnight May 13th, 2010 for the 10th Annual National Tourism Awards!

The Belize Tourism Board thanks all participants for submitting nominations for the 10th Annual National Tourism Awards. Again, we welcome your participation in selecting from the top four nominees in each category.

Deadline for VOTING is midnight May 13th, 2010.

Awards:
• Destination of the Year *New*
• Environmental Organization of the Year
• Receptive Service of the Year
• Hotel of the Year
• Restaurant of the Year
• Small Hotel of the Year
• Tour Operator of the Year
• Tour Guide of the Year
• Frontline Person of the Year
• Cultural Award of the Year
• Small Vendor of the Year

Judging Process:
The Belize Tourism Board will ensure that the judging process is fair and credible. With your votes on the finalists, representatives of the BTB's Board and management team will select a panel of judges comprised of representatives from the tourism industry (both private and public sector). The identities of the judges are kept confidential.

The two highest votes in each category are then presented to the judging panels and nominees are assessed on how well they meet the award criteria. These semi-finalists are then further reviewed, and may even be subject to site visits or interviews. The panel of judges then confers and picks the winner for each category.

To submit a nomination to the Belize Tourism Board please click here
or use the link below:

http://www.travelbelize.org/awardsvote/


To view past winners visit belizetourism.org

Two San Pedro bartenders to compete at Taste of Belize 2010

On Easter Sunday, five San Pedro bartenders competed in the Traveller’s National Cocktail Challenge held at Central Park. With a crowd cheering on their favorite mix master, the contestants were put through a series of three elimination rounds.

The first round required each bartender to prepare three original cocktails based on three Traveller’s liquors. The second round was a speed round requiring the bartenders to prepare at least four cocktails from a list of seven specific recipes, and the last round paired two finalists against each other.

The finalists were asked to prepare two cocktails based on ingredients from a mystery box. The mystery box contained four ingredients and the bartenders were required to choose three of the ingredients. They were allowed 15 minutes to write their recipes and name their two cocktails and then 10 minutes to prepare both concoctions. Each cocktail needed to be prepared with different techniques such as frozen, shaken, stirred, etc.

Judges were on hand at all times gauging their scores on taste, technique, originality, presentation, showmanship, personality, punctuality, portions, procedures and garnishes. Scores earned specific points and the bartender with the highest score was the top winner.

During the Traveller’s National Cocktail Challenge there will be a total of six competitions held in regional areas of Belize. Each first and second place regional winners will automatically be entered in the Taste of Belize Bartender’s Competition scheduled for August, 2010.

Renan Rodriguez

Romeo Kotch

San Pedro bartender Renan Rodriguez of La Playa Lounge won first place and bartender Romeo Kotch from El Divino placed second. We applaud both these talented gentlemen and look forward to cheering them on at the BTB Taste of Belize competition.