Last week Thursday, we took you to Harvest Caye to show you what Norwegian Cruise Line’s exclusive island getaway looked like when their first cruise ship docked there for the grand opening. We weren’t invited for an on the ground tour, and so we had to wait until the following day for the team from Government Press Office, which was the only camera crew granted access, to provide us with a view of the island itself.
One man who did get to see it for himself is Transport Minister Edmond Castro. He, Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, and the Prime Minister’s Wife, Kim Barrow, were key players in the ceremony. So, now that he has experienced the luxury of this island paradise, what does he think? Here’s how he put it:
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"I think that I would like to see more of the cruise line do something similar to that in terms of developing a port that we could bring and employ more Belizeans, I think that establishment out there Harvest Caye currently employs over 500 or 700 Belizeans so I believe if the other cruise line could do the same could you imagine 4 or 5 times that amount, that means much more Belizean families will be eating directly and then the other spin off as it relates to tour guides and so on. So we need more tour guides now in the south."
Reporter
"Basically what does it mean to be a port of entry?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"A port of entry it simply means that for us, for my department that is responsible for port, we declare a port of entry so when those people come in we must have all the immigration docks. Immigration is out there, port authority is out there, we have health department out there, BAHA is out there. So it's basically a port of entry for those people coming into our country so the full regalia is out there for the government so make sure that everything goes smoothly for the guests coming into our country for the first time. So that is officially a port of entry."
Daniel Ortiz
"Are Belizeans normally allowed there or exclusively for tourists?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - Minister of NEMO & Transport
"I think that island is catered for tourists."
At the ceremony, Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia boasted in his speech that the island is currently employing about 500 Belizeans, and by the year 2020, that number could increase by as many as 1,500.
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