And while the student body and staff at La Inmaculada are battling the real-time effects of the pollution affecting the New River, the tourism sector in Northern Belize is bracing to take a major hit. Resorts and restaurants near the riverside are losing customers because no one wants to go near the river in its current state.
One of those businesses most affected is the Maracas Bar and Grill Restaurant. It is owned by Phillip De La Fuente and his wife, who are also owners El Gran Mestizo Resort, and Hotel De La Fuente.
We showed you how the DOE is testing their aerator solution on the property near Maracas Bar and Grill, and that's because they are near one of the worst areas of the. polluted river.
Today, De La Fuente told us that they are already facing dire financial times:
Orlando De La Fuente - Co-owner, El Gran Mestizo Resort
"Business [is] bad. Business [is] really bad, and I'll give you an example. Wednesday, when we opened - we open Wednesday to Sunday, 5 days a week. And when we opened up, we only sold 2 covers, 2 plates of food. We had one table for lunch, and we sold 2 plates of food. And in the evening, a tour operator and his tour guide came. So, our sales for the entire day was $80. I have a staff of 14. Our payroll alone is $3,000 a week, and so, these are factors that we must consider because obviously, people aren't coming. They drive in here. They get out. They start to smell the river, and they turn right back and go. So, it's been - if it continues like this, it's unsustainable, and we probably will have to close."
Reporter
"So, that means no Maracas for a while?"
Orlando De La Fuente
"That means that we would close until the situation on the river improves."
"Our occupancy rate in our cabins has also decreased, and our tours. It's a traditionally slow time, but it's been extra slow because people don't want to take a tour. The first thing they ask when they send an email is that is it true that the river stinks? Is it true that the river is polluted? What is the health hazard to us? And so, we're still conducting tours every day, but we send the boat up to Tower Hill, so they don't have to see this part of the river that's polluted."
"I had a lot of faith in the tourism business in Northern Belize. We have so much faith in the industry that we had budgeted to build 4 more cabins this year, and we're about three-quarters of our way with a swimming pool. And now, if the situation does not improve on the New River, the DOE is going to take years. And I find that hard to believe. It's gut-wrenching because we can't wait for years."
"My confidence in the tourism industry in Northern Belize is at an all-time low. I don't know. We have to finish the pool, but we'll probably put the 4 cabins on hold."
De La Fuente tells us that his staff of 14 doesn't want him and his wife to close the restaurant just yet. He says that they are willing to fight through the awful smell and show up for work, but he and his wife have to weigh the other factors. If the hydrogen sulfide levels on the compound become dangerous, or if customers aren't showing any support to the restaurant, a hard choice will have to be made.
They will still open up for business this Wednesday.
Email
Print