Belize introduces COVID-19 toolkit for tourism businesses

By MTDR

Belize City, Belize – The Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations (MTDR) continues to work towards accelerating recovery and enhancing resilience as the country progresses towards a post- COVID reality. As a result, the MTDR has launched two programs:

• The Belize COVID-19 Tourism Dashboard Framework; and,
• The Belize COVID-19 Digital Toolkit for Tourism Businesses.

Both these tools are possible due to a collaboration between the MTDR, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), industry partners, and the George Washington University Graduate Program in Washington, DC, USA.

The Belize COVID-19 Tourism Dashboard Framework

This online dashboard was developed to provide up-to-date data indicators for the tourism sector from the ministry of tourism & diaspora relations, BTB, and other third-party sources.

The data indicators will provide updates on the following key areas:

1. Public Health & Safety Updates;
2. Economic Impact on Tourism Sector;
3. Recovery Indicators and Best Practices for Re-opening.

The Belize COVID-19 Digital Toolkit for Tourism Businesses

The digital toolkit aims to provide information and resources to small and medium-sized tourism businesses which can be used to update and improve their online presence considering the changes caused by the pandemic.

The Digital Toolkit comprises of five topics:

1. Content & Messaging: Three primary recommendations are offered for messaging – utility, community, and inspiration. Content ideas are provided.
2. Website Best Practices: Suggestions for optimizing website content in light of COVID-19 are provided.
3. Social Media Best Practices: Strategies for making the most of social media channels, namely Instagram and Facebook, are discussed.
4. Online Business Listings: This section contains instructions and tips on updating third- party business listings to improve the quality and visibility of proles.
5. Digital Technologies: The toolkit focuses specifically on low-cost digital technologies that can be adapted by tourism businesses.

Tourism businesses can access both the COVID-19 Dashboard & Digital Toolkit Videos on the ministry’s website.