AGRICULTURE & TRADE SHOW GROUNDS - TOURISM DEVELOPMENT The Agriculture and Trade Show grounds comprise over 125 acres of prime real estate strategically located at the junction of the Western and Hummingbird highways....in the heart of Belize, at the feet of the City of Belmopan. It is utilized only one weekend per year for the National Agricultural and Trade Show, annually held towards the end of April o...r beginning of May. Here is another example of where development is taking place in a hodge-podge manner....as it now accommodates OIRSA offices, Village Council Association offices, office for the Belize Rural Development Project, farmers trading center and the 4-H Center. The majority, approx. 95%, of this asset it grossly underutilized. This asset, placed under a Management Authority, can back an investment of about $10 million when structured with debt and strategic equity. It can be transformed into a TOURISM CENTER that accommodates a modern bus terminal for Belmopan, complete with rented concessions, parking facilities, managed rest-room facilities, offices, car rental ports, charters, tour operations, etc. Buildings for rent to accommodate restaurants/pubs that feature Belize cultural cuisines/drinks, a cluster where the culinary arts can flourish. It can also feature units for rent to develop a cluster for manufacture, showcasing and selling of arts and crafts, memorabilia and other gifts, especially featuring Made in Belize items. It can be used as a central location for a variety of tour operations, that include service to cruise and over-night tourism patrons. It can feature an open air concert area with modern stage facilities, which can be used for promoting musical, dance and other audio-visual arts year round. The entire western front facing the exotic Roaring Creek can be beautifully landscaped into a recreation park where patrons can pay the small entrance fee for its use in an area that is kept safe and secured at all times. The entire property can be landscaped into a tropical garden, with paved roadways, sidewalks, parking areas, and lots of lighting and safety/security. Areas can be kept such that they accommodate the usual Agric Show exhibitions of Belizean produce and producers. A Belize Commodity Exchange can be accommodated as well, where wholesalers of produce, grains and other commodities can be graded and traded. In such a cluster, with small contributions from the stakeholders, cultural entertainment can be featured daily, to maintain a joyful spirit at all times. An important concept is an improved distribution of Cruise Tourism revenues via fragmentation of service to cruise tourism patrons. 48-seat buses should be able to transport cruise tourists from Belize Port, only up to this central location....not to sites. To enjoy the site attractions, they are from this point serviced by efficient 12-seater or smaller units owned and operated by a consortium of privately owned operations...with a much wider variety of tours that are more tailored so the tourists can enjoy their experience better...including the use of the scenic Hummingbird Highway....and more people can be gainfully employed from the use of the natural resources of the country. The same outfit should not be allowed to control ALL legs of the Cruise Tourism offer. The legs should be segmented into three...two or three operators license can control the trunk of the tree (catamaran transport from ship to port and bus transport from port to central distribution centers in Belmopan and Sandhill)....and 400 operator licenses with 1000 units can control the minor branches (meals should be included in this license...so that tourists enjoy a wider variety of meal offers and many more providers of small-scale meal service providers can get into the action)....aiming to serve 12,000 Cruise tourists per day. A lot of people will be in favor of this....but a powerful few will raise all kind of naysayings and obstacles....but Cruise Tourism has to be worth it for more of the people....and Belize absolutely needs better wealth distribution....through more creative management and tireless work....so lets get on with it! : )
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 15:48:57 +0000
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