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The Belize Hotel Association held its annual general meeting this afternoon at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. It’s hard times for the overnight tourism industry right now because occupancy rates are down sharply. But, this resilient industry has seen hard times before and outgoing President Einer Gomez wasn’t hanging his head wearily, he was looking ahead to the future optimistically.

Einer Gomez, Outgoing President
“We’ve tried to put that behind us and focus on marketing our product so that when the economy comes back into action we will be prepared. What we are doing right now is we are embarking on a huge marketing campaign and with the help of BTB and the members of the BHA being involved, we are doing a global marketing initiative which will encompass over 50 trade shows and will be exposing Belize as a destination in countries in Europe, North America, and South America.

Our goal is to try to put heads in beds and we are trying to do that for our membership who will have the priority to embark on this global initiative. Yes the occupancy numbers are down including in some hotels in San Pedro but that’s global, it is every where in the world. I believe that all the members of BHA and the BHA should be confident that what the Hotel Association is doing will put us on the map when the economy comes back in place.”

Jules Vasquez,
“I don’t hear you as the head of the association blaming this one or asking for that kind of break. Is that spirit of resilience and that optimistic outlook for the rebounding from the recession, is that a natural aspect of being in the tourism business, that we always have to hope that tomorrow is going to be better?”

Einer Gomez,
“Well you know everything affects tourism and as hoteliers I believe we’re used to that. 9/11 we were told would have killed tourism, it didn’t do that. We had Hurricane Keith in 2000 that really set us about a month to a month and a half and we got back on our feet. There was Hurricane Iris in the south afterwards and now there is the global economy. We just have to stay focus and make sure that the potential tourist out there knows that Belize is a multi-adventure destination and that we’re prepared to host anyone that wants to come.”

Doug Thompson was elected the new president today.