BELMOPAN, Belize – On January 11, the government of Belize entered into an agreement with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) for a non-reimbursable technical assistance grant of BZ$800,000.00 to finance the Sustainable Tourism Development Project.
The funds were approved under the Taiwan-CABEI Partnership Trust Fund (TCPT). The agreement was signed by prime minister John Briceño, on behalf of the government of Belize, and Ana Guisella Sánchez Maroto, executive president of CABEI. H.E. Lily Li-Wen Hsu, ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Belize, acted as a witness to the proceedings.
The project is aimed at advancing the development of the National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (NSTMP) 2030, focusing on two components:
i) consulting services for visitor flow management in the northern and western borders and ii) consulting services for waterfront destination development in Dangriga Town. The latter includes services required to generate a feasibility study, design, and construction documents for the waterfront development.
The NSTMP’s vision for tourism development promotes progress for disaster and climate resilience, environmental sustainability in tourism destinations, the improvement of the governance of the industry, the creation of jobs and the optimization of economic opportunities for Belizeans.
The NSTMP also focuses on improving visitors’ experience and overall competitiveness and fosters an environment that enables the private sector to invest in the tourism industry. The overall objective is for Belize to be an exclusive, multicultural, sustainable destination in the Central American and Caribbean region.
The financial backing and expertise provided by Taiwan, along with the regional perspective and developmental resources contributed by CABEI, have synergistically fueled the progression of this plan. Their unwavering commitment and collaborative efforts have been pivotal in laying the foundation to implement this strategic initiative. The indispensable support of these partners underscores the significance of international collaboration in achieving shared goals for sustainable development and resilience.
On behalf of the citizens and Government of Belize, prime minister Briceño extends his gratitude to the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and CABEI for their continued support of Belize and looks forward to the ongoing partnerships.
