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Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation

PROTECTINGBELIZE’S NATURAL HERITAGE:

AN ACTION PLAN FOR SHARED STEWARDSHIP OF A CRUISE DESTINATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We wish to thank all of the participants involved in this groundbreaking multi-sectoral initiative. The hard work and dedication of everyone involved has allowed this work to progress seamlessly, and each participant has enriched the process. The partnership between Conservation International and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), with the support of the Government of Belize, gave form and structure to the initiative. We thank Belize’s Director of Tourism, Tracy Panton, and BTB’s former Deputy Director for Product Development, Anthony Mahler, for their instrumental guidance and support throughout the planning process. We thank the Mayor of Belize City, Ms. Zenaida Moya, and her manage-ment team for their critical inputs and active involvement throughout the planning process.

On February 7, 2008, Belize held general elections, which resulted in a change of government and a new Minister of Tourism. We thank the former Minister of Tourism, Hon. Godfrey Smith, for his vision and leadership from the inception of this project in 2007, and we look forward to working with Belize’s new Minister of Tourism, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr, who has embraced the continuation of this important initiative, reaffirming the Belize government’s leadership role in balancing environmental protection with quality of tourism product and quality of life for Belizeans.

In particular, the persistence, creativity and dedication of the participants in the various workshops resulted in practical and concrete actions for the improved management of this important sector of tourism in Belize. A Destination Stewardship Working Group comprised of representatives from cruise lines, government, the private sector and civil society who all participated in the various workshops has guided the participatory planning process and its outputs. Members of the Working Group have invested significant time and are making ongoing contributions and commit-ments; without their active support, this project would not have attained its full potential. The Destination Stewardship Working Group members include: Raymond Sheppard and Adrian Rodriguez of the Belize City Council, Laura Esquivel of the Belize Tourism Board, David Gegg of Cruise Solutions Ltd., Mark Castillo of Discovery Divers, John Searle Jr. of Sea Sports Belize Limited, Andrew Godoy of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Adam Ceserano of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, Yvette Alonzo of the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations, James Azueta and Isaias Majil of the Belize Fisheries Department, Cassian Aguet of the Belize National Tour Guide Association, and Guadalupe V. Rosado of the Coral Reef Alliance.

We wish to thank the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and its Security/Operations Committee for their commitment to incorporating sustainability in cruise destination management.

Special thanks go to Valerie Woods, project consultant, whose work on the ground in Belize helped the project reach its full potential. At Conservation International, we would like to thank Seleni Matus, Jamie Sweeting, and Rebecca Rogers for managing the overall initiative.

A special thanks also goes to Scott Wayne of S.W. Associates, L.L.C., who provided important input to the dialogue’s

methodology, and Juan Carlos Bonilla, who facilitated the focus group meetings and the multi-sector workshop and provided important guidance throughout all phases of the initiative. We are grateful to the following individuals for their valuable comments on this document: Yvette Alonzo, James Azueta, Juan Carlos Bonilla, Mark Castillo, David Gegg, Andrew Godoy, Susanne Kissmann, Stanley Longsworth Sr., Tracy Panton, Anthony Mahler, Melanie McField, Teresa Parkey, John Searle Jr. and Rich Wilson.

We would also like to thank our editor, Amy Sweeting, and designer, Fernando Urrea.

Finally, we would like to thank the Oak Foundation and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) for their gener-ous support of this initiative. The views and recommendations expressed within this report are those of the authors and participants in the various workshops and working groups; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the Oak Foundation and CLIA.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

II Preface

IV ExecutiveSummary1 Introduction:ProtectingBelize’sNaturalHeritage

3 ParticipatoryPlanningProcess Methodology CruiseIndustryStakeholders

Multi-sectorDestinationStewardshipWorkingGroup

10 Recommendations:ProgramofWorkforCollaboration StrategicLinesofActionandRecommendations

20 ConservationProjects

22 Conclusion

24 Annexes ListofParticipantsintheParticipatoryPlanningProcess

ListofTopIssuesandPossibleActionsDiscussedatStakeholderFocusGroupMeetings

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATIONII

PrEFACEThis Action Plan is a practical guide for local and international cooperation between key stakeholder groups that share responsibility for sustainably managing Belize as a cruise destination. The recommendations identified in this plan emerged from a participatory planning process that involved key stakeholder groups pertaining to the cruise industry in Belize, including the cruise lines, the private sector, the government and civil society organizations (NGOs). These recommendations represent the collective knowledge and experience of key leaders and decision-makers from these stakeholder groups who have been actively involved in the evolution of cruise ship tourism in Belize. The recommendations address a set of cruise visitation issues that were agreed by stakeholders to be the most urgent and important to tackle in the short-term; they are presented with minimal editing in order to accurately reflect the contributions of stakeholders.

In addition to the Action Plan, this initiative is also putting into action several immediate conservation projects to galvanize shared stewardship of Belize as a cruise destination. A locally based Destination Stewardship Working Group, comprised of representatives from all stakeholder groups, is overseeing the design, fundraising and implementation of these conservation projects in 2008. These projects are designed as short-term, quick-win solutions, and are intended to stimulate broader and longer-term collaborative action in the future.

This innovative initiative is the first step toward achieving Belize’s vision of becoming a responsible cruise destination. The Action Plan signals the country’s strong commitment to balancing the growth of the cruise ship tourism sector with the protection of its coastal and marine ecosystems and the life they sustain.

This initiative also demonstrates the continued willingness and commitment of international cruise industry leaders to work with local partners to chart a new course for working together on priority issues, as well as the leadership role that Belize’s cruise sector has assumed in implementing best practices for stewardship of the environment, to ensure long-term protection of the country’s natural heritage. Moving forward, all sectors of the tourism industry will need to continue to work together to face the larger challenge of balancing continued growth of tourism and development, both within and beyond the cruise sector, with sustained and large-scale conservation efforts.

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PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATIONIV

EXECUTIVE SUMMArYBelize, a premier nature tourism destination that has been called “Mother Nature’s best-kept secret,” has experienced remarkable growth in cruise ship tourism over the past decade. Between 1998 and 2007, cruise ship arrivals increased from 14,183 to 624,1281 visitors. This rapid growth has made Belize one of the fastest growing cruise destinations in the Caribbean region.

Cruise ship tourism has brought about many economic opportunities for Belize, including diversification of the economy, job creation in and around Belize City and significant countrywide growth in small and medium-size businesses providing services to this new sector of the tourism industry. However, rapid growth in cruise ship visitation has also presented this small nation with the formidable tourism development challenge of how it can most effectively manage this level of cruise ship visitation, to minimize the industry’s footprint in unique coastal and marine ecosystems while still maintaining its competitiveness as a world-class nature tourism destination. The challenge Belize faces is especially poignant, since it is blessed with incredible biological diversity and recognized globally for its commitment to protection of its natural resources, with about 26 percent of its national territory under some form of legal protection.

As a first step toward addressing the need to balance the growth of cruise ship tourism with the protection of Belize’s natural heritage, the Belize Tourism Board partnered with Conservation International to bring cruise industry stakeholders together to develop a practical and feasible action plan that would help the destination more effectively manage cruise ship visitation. The result, this Action Plan for Shared Stewardship of a Cruise Destination, documents the main outcomes of a participatory planning pro-cess in which more than 60 of Belize’s cruise industry leaders, from govern-ment, the private sector, civil society and the cruise lines, came together in 2007 to define priority issues related to the environmental impacts of cruise visitation and reach consensus on actions for addressing them.

� BelizeTourismBoardVisitorStatistics,2007.

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION �

This initiative is also seeking to galvanize change by working with cruise industry stakeholders to put into action two to three concrete conservation projects that demonstrate multi-sectoral collaboration. A Destination Stewardship Working Group comprised of representatives of each major stakeholder group was established to help develop and oversee implementation of the conservation projects. These quick-win, short-term projects are intended to serve as catalysts for promoting on-going multi-sectoral destination stewardship efforts that extend beyond the time horizon of this initiative. An overview of these projects expected is presented in this document.

The high-priority issues and corresponding actions defined in the work-shops are presented in this Action Plan as eight recommendations, orga-nized under four strategic lines of action:

I. Enhancing marine and coastal resource use management

Recommendation One: Develop and enact a national moor-ing buoy policy and program.

Recommendation Two: Establish limits of acceptable change for high-priority marine recreation sites.

Recommendation Three: Establish zoning and regulations for highly visited marine recreation areas.

II. Improving tourism planning, basic tourism infrastructure and management of services/facilities for cruise ship visitors

Recommendation Four: Develop and implement a tourism plan for Belize City as part of the broader National Tourism Master Plan.

Recommendation Five: Establish a handicraft market for local vendors.

Recommendation Six: Restore historic buildings.

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATIONVI

III. Fostering adequate site monitoring and compliance with existing regulations

Recommendation Seven: Revive the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute or similar lead agency.

IV. Promoting conservation awareness among cruise ship visitors about Belize’s natural heritage

Recommendation Eight: Develop and implement an environmental awareness campaign targeted to cruise ship visitors.

This Action Plan provides a practical guide for improved management of cruise tourism, in order to limit its footprint in Belize. The full implementation and further development of the Action Plan will require the continued commitment and active participation and contributions of all major stakeholder groups, beyond the time horizon of the joint Belize Tourism Board and Conservation International initiative. It is envisioned that the outcomes of this initiative will help the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation the Belize Tourism Board establish a permanent Cruise Destination Stewardship Council to lead shared stewardship efforts beyond this initiative, based on the recommendations presented in this Action Plan.


INTrODUCTION: PrOTECTINg BELIzE’S NATUrAL HErITAgE Belize is an English-speaking country located on the Caribbean coast of Central America, between Mexico and Guatemala. The country is just two hours by plane from three major U.S. gateways, Miami, Houston and Dallas, which has helped it to retain its appeal to both U.S. and Canadian markets. This small nation (8,866 square miles, or roughly the size of Massachusetts) with an approximate population of only 300,000 has placed about 26 percent of its national territory under some form of conservation protection.2 Belize boasts a rich natural and cultural heritage, including the Belize Barrier Reef System, which is a World Heritage Site, the largest cave system in Central America, over 500 species of birds, thousands of Maya archaeological sites and the only jaguar reserve in the world, making the country a site of high global conservation importance. Conservation International’s Mesoamerica Hotspot3 encompasses all of Belize, highlight-ing the importance of conservation both because of the country’s high levels of biodiversity, including many species found nowhere else in the world, and the degree to which this biodiversity is under immediate threat from development and habitat conversion.

Belize’s rich natural and heritage has helped to make it a popular cruise destination. On peak days, the country receives up to four cruise ships, which can bring more than 9,000 visitors daily to the various inland and marine locations.4 On average, about 60 percent of cruise ship passengers and 40 percent of crew disembark.5 The majority of cruise ship passengers who disembark explore Belize City and surrounding areas through orga-nized tours. Continued growth of cruise tourism in Belize is expected to remain strong, with 2008 and 2009 cruise ship arrivals projected to total more than 500,000.6 However, representatives from the local private sec-tor and the cruise lines in this participatory planning process, noted that

2 BelizeNationalProtectedAreasSystemPlan,November2005.� ConservationInternationalhasidentified�4biodiversityhotspotsthatcoverjust2.�percentofthe

world’slandsurface,yetarehometonearlythree-quartersoftheworld’smostthreatenedbirds,amphibiansandmammalsandoverhalfofalltheworld’splantspecies.Seehttp://www.conservation.org/explore/priority_areas/Pages/hotspots.aspx

4 InterviewwithAnthonyMahler,DirectorofProductDevelopment,BelizeTourismBoard-November2007.5 Ibid.� StatisticsprovidedbyBelizeTourismBoard.

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION2

improvements to infrastructure in Belize City and improved docking facili-ties need to be given serious consideration in order for the sector to remain viable.

To address the challenge of balancing the growth of cruise tourism with the protection of Belize’s natural heritage, the Belize Tourism Board partnered with Conservation International to develop an Action Plan to improve the management of cruise ship visitation. Belize is the second7 cruise ship destination in the world to use a participatory planning process in which all major stakeholder groups that have a vested interest in cruise ship tourism came together to discuss and reach consensus on high-priority cruise visitation issues and practical actions for addressing these top issues. These initiatives mark an important conceptual shift, with international cruise industry leaders and leaders from a cruise ship destination jointly embracing the idea that destination management is a shared responsibility in which all major stakeholder groups, the cruise lines included, play an important role.

The success of Belize’s tourism industry is directly related to its incredible wealth of natural resources. It is the healthy, rich and diverse ecosystems of the country that make it a popular cruise destination in the region. Maintaining the health of Belize’s natural resources is vital not only to global biodiversity but also to the sustainability of the country’s tourism industry and the well-being of its people.

7 Cozumel,Mexico,engagedinasimilarprocess,beginninginMarch2007.


PArTICIPATOrY PLANNINg PrOCESS

The underlying principle that guided this initiative is that sustainable cruise tourism is a shared responsibility of the government of Belize, the private sector, civil society and the cruise lines. Each major cruise stakeholder group has the ability to influence the shore-based impacts of cruise tourism in Belize, and, by working together, the stakeholder groups can increase the opportunities for positive impacts from cruise tourism to help to ensure the long-term maintenance, protection and preservation of Belize’s natural heritage.

Methodology

The first step of the participatory planning process involved document-ing and consolidating local perceptions of environmental issues related to cruise ship passenger visitation. To this end, local leaders from govern-ment, the private sector and civil society who are involved with cruise tour-ism were polled. Based on the results of the questionnaires and interviews, a list of recurring issues was put together to serve as a starting point for focus group meeting discussions.

In July and August 2007, focus group meetings were held with each of the four major cruise industry stakeholder groups - cruise lines, the private sector, the government and civil society organizations. In total, about 60 cruise industry leaders participated in the focus group meeting. (See Annex 1 for a list of participants in this process). Each group identified its high-pri-ority environmental issues related to cruise ship passenger visitation and discussed ways to address these issues. (See Annex 2 for a list of issues identi-fied in this process.)

The focus groups were followed by a one-day multi-sector planning work-shop in October 2007, facilitated by Conservation International. At this workshop, more than 40 leaders and decision-makers representing the four stakeholder groups came together and were challenged to reach consensus on collaborative action related to sustainable management of cruise ship visitation. The fundamental concept guiding the conversations was that


of shared responsibility, recognizing that each group plays an important role in ensuring the maintenance and protection of Belize’s natural heri-tage. The groups were asked to prioritize the list of issues in terms of those that could be immediately addressed - which would form the basis of the short-term conservation projects - and those that required a longer term for implementation.

This Action Plan is based on the outcomes of the focus group meetings and the multi-sector planning workshop. The plan is a first for Belize in which key stakeholder groups are jointly defining actions and participat-ing together in implementing these actions. The outcomes presented in this Action Plan are listed as eight recommendations for short- and long-term actions, organized under four strategic lines of action: (1) Enhancing marine and coastal resource use management; (2) Improving tourism plan-ning, basic tourism infrastructure and management of services/facilities for cruise ship visitors; (3) Fostering adequate site monitoring and compli-ance with existing regulations; and (4) Promoting conservation awareness among cruise ship visitors about Belize’s natural heritage. In addition, the plan outlines three conservation projects to promote immediate collabora-tion and address high-priority cruise ship visitation issues. Initial steps are now being taken to implement these projects.

The underlying principles that guided the participatory process were:

Shared responsibility: Key to improving management of cruise ship visi-tation is the recognition on the part of all stakeholders that protection of natural resources is everyone’s responsibility; there is no single stakeholder group that is solely responsible either for generating impacts or for man-aging conservation of Belize’s natural resources. Each stakeholder has a unique position and viewpoint that, when combined with the others, can strengthen existing actions and identify new and creative solutions.

Common ground: A unique part of this process was identifying and keep-ing multi-sector stakeholder dialogue focused on common ground. The structure of the meetings and the workshops ensured positive and dynamic dialogue. The issues and actions presented in this document are those around which there was a high level of consensus on their importance and urgency. Other important issues raised went beyond the scope of the project, given the project’s duration, but were noted as critical for future


dialogue. These include, but were not limited to, waste disposal and the construction of a new cruise terminal in Belize City.

Immediate action: Another guiding principle of the participatory planning process was to build on existing resources, efforts and networks to motivate immediate collaborative action through the implementation of two to three short-term, quick-win conservation projects.

CruiseIndustryStakeholders

In cruise ship destinations around the world, cruise lines and local stake-holders traditionally have not come together to search for joint solutions to cruise visitation issues. However, as the different sectors realize that protecting the quality of destinations requires a range of actions that imply different levels of intervention, time and resources, cruise industry leaders are beginning to seek alliances for environmental protection. These leaders understand that it is through joint action, in which each stakeholder group brings to the table its unique skills and resources, that protection and adequate management of the rich and diverse biodiversity in cruise destina-tions can be achieved.

This initiative marks the first attempt in Belize to bring the major stake-holder groups involved in cruise ship tourism together at the destination level to define joint action for preserving natural resources and maintaining the quality of tourism services and products.

In Belize, as in other cruise destinations, each sector in the cruise industry brings to the table important and unique strengths and abilities and faces its own set of issues and challenges in the search for joint solutions to bal-ancing the growth of cruise ship tourism with the protection of Belize’s natural heritage.

Private Sector: Tourism has become the single most important industry for Belize in terms of foreign exchange earnings and job creation; tourism is now responsible for one in every four jobs in the country. A large percentage of the local working population interacts with tourists on a daily basis, including tour guides, taxi drivers, tourist police, waiters

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION�

and store merchants. A key group in this sector is the local shore excur-sion provider, who is responsible for providing in-country tours to the cruise visitors. As approximately 60 percent of cruise ship passengers that disembark in Belize purchase organized tours, shore excursion provid-ers are in a unique position to directly influence the behavior of tour-ists, model responsible operational practices, and educate tourists on the uniqueness and fragility of the country’s resources. The private sector, and shore excursion providers in particular, bring to this initiative their practi-cal know-how and management skills, and an intimate understanding of tourist behaviors and needs. This sector can play a key role in forming partnerships and collaborating with other stakeholder groups to promote protection of natural resources, implement good practices in their daily operations, and offer environmentally sensitive excursions. One challenge facing the private sector is the lack of effective representation for smaller tour operators, who do not have an organized trade association to represent them, and thus do not have a formal voice in discussions on tourism policy and strategies. Other challenges include seasonal swings between high and low visitation, high personnel turnover, and the difficulty of managing guide behavior to ensure compliance with environmental guidelines. These challenges are compounded by an inconsistent regulatory system lacking enforcement capacity, and divergent interests between businesses serving cruise visitors and those serving overnight hotel visitors.

Civil Society: Belize has more than 30 different civil society orga-nizations, ranging from committees that serve basic human needs to local and international entities that are organized around environmental protec-tion. This range of organized and well-represented groups, especially in the area of natural resource protection, reflects the passion and dedication on the part of the local population toward their resources and heritage. Belize has a network of well-established and organized non-governmental conservation organizations that have been instrumental in establishing, sharing management responsibilities for, and helping to consolidate and manage Belize’s network of terrestrial and marine protected areas. Civil society groups also have extensive knowledge and information, an abil-ity to form alliances and work within a participatory process, an instinc-tive understanding of the need to encourage wider participation within the local community, and a commitment to dedicate individual time to projects. This sector plays a key role in bringing alternative options for sustainable development to the table, providing support to efforts that have limited budgets, offering training and capacity building for implementa-tion of good practices, and encouraging conservation and environmentally


sensitive behavior for all sectors involved in tourism (including tourists and the private and public sectors). Civil society in Belize faces the challenge of consolidating individual efforts to improve its effectiveness, and of diversi-fying and increasing its donor base beyond international funding.

Government: Over the past several decades, the Government of Belize has demonstrated its commitment to conserve and protect Belize’s fragile ecosystems, while at the same time encouraging the health and sustainability of tourism in the country. The government and its statu-tory boards and departments, including the Belize Tourism Board, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, the Fisheries Department, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, the Belize City Council and the Forest Department, among others, have an interest in, and jurisdiction and authority over Belize’s tourism industry. Representation and partici-pation of these and other relevant government agencies means there is additional knowledge and expertise, as well as trained personnel available to face the challenges of balancing growth and protection. Yet the gov-ernment sector has the formidable task of meeting the expectations of all sectors - ensuring a good quality of life for local citizens, providing sophis-ticated infrastructure and support to the cruise industry, and protecting and conserving natural resources - and acting in such a way as to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of all tourism activities in Belize. This role is particularly critical to the Belize City Council, as Belize City is home to the port of call for cruise ships. There are also several challenging issues to overcome, including fast growth of cruise ship tourism, and lack of resources at the local and central levels of government, all of which have resulted in lack of enforcement of existing regulations.

Cruise Lines: The global cruise tourism industry is enormously suc-cessful, and the popularity of this type of tourism continues to grow, as reflected in the number of new ships being built and the ever-increasing size of these vessels. The industry has demonstrated its expertise at man-aging large numbers of tourists onboard ships, and can play a major and important role in helping export that knowledge and know-how to local destinations. Major cruise lines, represented by the long-standing and respected umbrella trade association, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and regional trade associations such as the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), have been actively addressing a wide range of ship-based and destination-level environmental issues. With their participa-tion in this participatory planning process in Belize and another parallel

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION�

project in Cozumel, Mexico, the cruise industry is now actively working with partner destinations in the Western Caribbean to improve sustainable management of cruise ship visitation. One of the significant challenges the cruise industry faces in the Caribbean is working with a wide range of des-tinations with varying levels of tourism development, and hence needs.

Multi-sectorDestinationStewardshipWorkingGroup

The first mechanism for joint action and building of alliances to improve management of cruise ship visitation is the multi-sector Destination Stewardship Working Group established at the multi-sector stakeholder meeting in October 2007. The Working Group is charged with designing, securing funding for and overseeing the implementation of the short-term conservation projects outlined in this Action Plan.

It is envisioned that the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation the Belize Tourism Board will use the model of the Working Group and its accom-plishments to establish a permanent Destination Stewardship Council to spearhead destination stewardship efforts beyond the time horizon of this initiative, based on the recommendations presented in this Action Plan.

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rECOMMENDATIONS: PrOgrAM OF WOrk FOr COLLABOrATION The main outcomes of the participatory planning process have been syn-thesized into eight recommendations, grouped under four strategic lines of action aimed at improving the sustainable management of cruise ship visi-tation in Belize. Each recommendation is followed by a list of one or more proposed actions. Those actions identified as a priority through the partici-patory planning process are marked with a green checkmark (√).

StrategicLinesofActionandRecommendations

I. Enhancing marine and coastal resource use management

This strategic line of action encompasses a suite of actions for effectively managing overcrowding and overuse of marine sites in and around Belize City, where the cruise ship port is located, to ensure a high-quality visitor experience and minimize the industry’s footprint in coastal and marine ecosystems. While all issues discussed at the focus group meetings were considered important, the issue of improving the visitor’s experience through better management of the volume of visitors at top marine recre-ation sites was agreed to by all four participating sectors as a high-priority issue deserving immediate attention.

Recommendation One: Develop and enact a national mooring buoy policy and program.

Belize’s incredible wealth of marine resources is the hallmark of the country’s diverse tourism attractions. Visitors are drawn by Belize’s warm and turquoise waters that offer world-class snorkeling, diving and wildlife viewing sites. Marine recreation activities are very popular among cruise ship visitors, and top marine recreation sites, which often lack basic infra-structure and human resources for adequate site management, have been overwhelmed by the sudden increase in visitation. The general lack of boat docking facilities, combined with a spike in boat traffic at highly visited marine recreation sites, is causing significant anchor damage to coral. Tourism stakeholders agreed that reducing anchor damage to coral is a key visitor impact management issue.

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There have been several mooring buoy installation initiatives spearheaded by both the public and private sectors in Belize. While the Fisheries Department has drafted a mooring buoy policy and plan, it has not com-pleted the process of consultation required to have it enacted. Such a national policy and plan should include a systematic outline of important locations for mooring buoys, a policy that guides the use of these buoys with particular attention given to size of vessels, procedures for install-ing buoys, and a maintenance and sustainability program that ensures the permanent presence of mooring buoys. Tourism stakeholders will need to work with the Fisheries Department to conduct consultations and secure key endorsements in order to finalize the national mooring buoy policy and plan.

The following suggested action items offer some preliminary ideas that emerged from the participatory planning process for how to establish the national mooring buoy policy and plan:

Action Items

• Enact the draft national mooring buoy policy and plan after consultation with tourism stakeholders, in particular tour operators. (√)

• Identify areas that are in immediate need of mooring buoys, starting with areas in and around Belize City. (√)

• Develop and put into action a sustainability and maintenance mechanism to allow for oversight of use of the buoys. (√)

• Install mooring buoys at snorkeling and dive sites that are currently heavily used by cruise ship visitors and are in immediate need of buoys. (√)

• Disseminate targeted messages to marine operators about the importance of using designated mooring buoys.(√)

Recommendation Two: Establish limits of acceptable change for high-priority marine recreation sites.

Traditionally, much of the work involved in developing new tourism products for cruise ship tourism has focused on maximizing use of an area’s unique attractions, with limited attention given to the ecological


significance and fragility of the resource. This approach was driven mainly by the demand to develop a wide range of marine tours over a very short period of time. Based on their firsthand knowledge of changes occurring at highly visited marine sites, tourism stakeholders in the participatory planning process signaled that there is an urgent need to more effectively manage visitor flows at high-priority marine areas. To this end, tourism stakeholders propose establishing limits of acceptable change for high-priority marine recreation sites, in order to manage current and future changes in marine recreation. The idea, proposed by stakeholders and outlined below in the action items, is to define, through a participatory process, acceptable and achievable resource conditions for the sites, determine whether or not those desired conditions exist, and apply management actions needed to maintain or enhance desired conditions, including enforcement of these guidelines.

Action Items

• Identify high-priority marine sites. (√)

• Define and establish limits of acceptable change for high-priority marine sites. (√)

• Establish a booking system for marine tour operators, to avoid overuse of sites.

• Regulate time departures for tour activities.

• Rotate the use of marine sites.

Recommendation Three: Establish zoning and regulations for highly visited marine recreation areas.

An effectively implemented and enforced zoning plan is vital to the long-term protection of Belize’s natural heritage. Currently, tours servicing cruise passengers are dispatched at various marine locations without any regard to total numbers of persons visiting the area at any given time or to the size of the tour operator vessel that uses the area. In addition to affect-ing the quality of the tour experience for the visitor, this also has obvious implications for environmental impacts on an area. Action and regulations for the use of marine areas in Belize for tourism activities have the potential to help effectively manage increasing numbers of visitors (both overnight and cruise) while protecting the fragile ecosystems on which the marine attractions are based.


Action Items

• Design and implement a zoning program for the marine areas that are being used for marine recreation by visitors. (√)

• Include the designation of sites for small groups and those sites that can handle much larger groups of visitors per day.

• Clearly identify sites that are particularly sensitive areas for conservation purposes, and establish clear rules and regulations for visitor use.

• Disseminate environmental messages through various media sources to foster community support among the local population and tour operators for the zoning of marine recreational sites.

II. Improving city planning, basic tourism infrastructure and management of services/facilities for cruise ship visitors.

Cruise ship tourism brings a high volume of visitors in a concentrated period of time to Belize City and surrounding marine attractions. Most cruise ships arrive in the morning or early afternoon and stay for up to eight hours. During the high season, Belize City and its surrounding areas can receive up to four cruise ships per day, or about 9,000 visitors. It takes a tremendous amount of organization and capacity to effectively manage so many people in such a relatively short period of time. About 20 percent8 of cruise ship visitors do not participate in organized tours and opt to walk around the city or take an independent tour from the many independent tour guides and operators who wait outside the tourism village to attract tour sales. The city’s physical infrastructure is not sufficient to meet the needs of so many people. Improving the basic infrastructure and manage-ment services and facilities for cruise ship visitors in and around Belize City, and improving Belize City planning, would promote effective man-agement of visitors as well as help ensure a sense of security and confidence among visitors.

Recommendation Four: Develop and implement a tourism plan for Belize City as part of the broader National Tourism Master Plan.

� InterviewwithAnthonyMahler,BelizeTourismBoard,November2007


Tourism stakeholders in the participatory planning process thought that there was an urgent need to develop and implement a National Tourism Master Plan that includes a specific plan for Belize City. The focus of the plan would be to encourage long-term sustainable tourism through widely endorsed strategies for enhancing the visitor experience, such as improving existing tourism infrastructure and visitor information and improving management of cruise ship visitor flows specific to Belize City; building an inclusive industry that maximizes the scope of benefits to the local community; and addressing environmental sustainability. As the port of call for cruise ships, Belize City receives a high level of visitor traffic on cruise ship days. There is no clearly established tourism zone in the city; therefore, visitors wander around without any clear direction or guidance on places and things to do in the city. This situation has not helped to direct visitors to local vendors and sustainable tourism products. To help improve the benefits captured from cruise ship tourism, there is therefore a pressing need to establish a tourism zone policy. Specific actions identified were

Action Items

• Develop a widely endorsed National Tourism Master Plan for Belize that includes a specific plan for the Belize City area focused on the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure (roads and buildings), establishment of tourism service facilities and recognition of a specific tourism zone and tourism policy for the city. (√)

• Upgrade roads in Belize City (particularly Regent and Albert Streets). (√)

• Establish and enforce a Belize City tourism zone and policy with guidelines, rules and regulations, after consultation with relevant stakeholders.

• Locate well-maintained garbage receptacles throughout the established city tourism zone.

• Develop city maps that provide suggested walking routes for cruise visitors in the established city tourism zone.

Recommendation Five: Establish a handicraft market for local vendors.


Belize has a variety of local arts and crafts to offer to cruise ship visitors. However, the current management of small-scale local vendors and loca-tions is ad hoc, and requires much improvement if this cruise destination is to capture maximum benefits for the local community. The many arts and crafts vendors showcase their wares on the sides of the main streets outside the tourism village area for cruise visitors, in structures that appear dilapi-dated and unappealing. There is no organization or standard for these dis-plays or any indication of the quality of the products. Creating a handicraft market would alleviate traffic congestion in the city, provide an increased sense of security and safety for visitors and allow for an attractive, well-planned, designated area to showcase the variety of local arts and crafts.

Action Items

• Designate an area in the city tourism zone for local vendors. (√)

• Design and establish a national handicraft market. (√)

• Immediately clean up the existing area for local vendors.

• Establish a “Made in Belize” label that demonstrates the quality and Belizean manufacturing of the product.

Recommendation Six: Restore historic buildings.

As a former British Colony, Belize City has buildings that are colonial in style and architectural design, but are currently in a state of disrepair. As such, the city’s landscape or streetscape is not as aesthetically pleasing as it could be. Rehabilitating these buildings and areas would positively impact the quality of the visitor experience, for both overnight and cruise visitors, providing a welcoming atmosphere to the city’s visitors as well as a general improvement in the quality of building structures for residents of the city. Tourism stakeholders felt that restoring historic buildings could be the first step in a more comprehensive effort laid out in the National Tourism Master Plan for showcasing Belize’s rich history and improving the city’s image.

Action Items

• Paint houses and public areas in the city tourism zone. (√)

• Identify buildings of historic context and rehabilitate them.

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION1�

• Offer tax incentives to residents to repair, clean and beautify their buildings.

• Undertake a city-wide tree planting initiative.

• Establish attractive signage in the city tourism zone that is easily and readily identifiable to visitors.

III. Fostering adequate site monitoring and compliance with existing regulations

Tourism stakeholders felt that there was a significant gap in marine and coastal site monitoring and compliance with existing tourism and resource use regulations. Enforcement of existing regulations and establishment of new ones, if needed, requires a lead agency to coordinate and oversee the activities occurring in the coastal and marine areas of the country. This agency would also be able to ensure that appropriate educational materi-als on good environmental practices regarding management of marine recreational areas are being widely disseminated and adhered to for the protection and conservation of Belize’s rich natural resources. In the past, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) provided this oversight. It was created to be a lead agency on coastal-related issues, including ongoing research through the Institute. CZMAI started out as a project under the Ministry of Fisheries and was legally institutionalized as a statutory authority; however, its financing was inadequate for it to sustain its operations. For the past few years, the institution has operated with only a skeleton staff and has not been able to effectively fulfill its role.

In this context, tourism stakeholders in the participatory planning process recommend the revival of the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute or similar lead agency to provide effective oversight of activities that impact coastal and marine areas of the country.

Recommendation Seven: Revive the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute or similar lead agency.

A well-staffed, well-equipped and well-funded national authority on coastal zone management is needed to ensure compliance and oversight of rules and regulations that guide sustainable management, and long-term protec-tion of Belize’s marine natural resources. The CZMAI had produced much useful research information on the state of marine resources in Belize and has the potential to be a leading center in the region on integrated coastal


zone management. Such an institution, effectively managed, can provide much useful input into the management of cruise visitation to the various marine attractions in Belize.

Action Items

• Revive the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute or similar lead agency. (√)

• Finalize and implement the National Coastal Zone Management Plan, including marine and coastal zoning schemes.

IV. Promoting conservation awareness among cruise ship visitors about Belize’s natural heritage

Cruise ship tourism brings a high volume of visitors to Belize’s coastal and marine areas for a concentrated period of time. Encouraging best practices for marine recreation is one way to influence tourist behavior to ensure that their practices do not adversely affect Belize’s fragile marine ecosystem. With only a little guidance, visitors can learn how best to participate in a marine recreation tour so that they can enjoy their tour while still main-taining the reef’s health and protecting the marine environment.

Recommendation Eight: Implement an environmental aware-ness campaign targeted to cruise ship visitors.

The main information about Belize that visitors now receive is focused on tours and tourist attractions, with limited information about the impor-tance and fragility of Belize’s natural heritage or guidelines for responsible travel. Many of the tourists that come to Belize do have general environ-mental education, and with only a little guidance would most likely be quick to act in environmentally responsible ways that would still allow them to fully enjoy their visit. While there have been independent attempts or initiatives to raise awareness on the biodiversity richness of Belize and the need to engage in conservation of these natural resources, there has not been a sustained, ongoing campaign that is targeted to tourists (both over-night and cruise). An environmental awareness campaign that is sustained annually can contribute to improving the behavior of visitors when they come in contact with the reef, corals and other natural assets of the country.


Action Items

• Design and create educational materials on best practices. (√)

• Create a Belize video to be aired on board the cruise ships prior to their arriving in country. (√)

• Promote the adoption of environmentally friendly good practices among tour operators, tour guides through the national tour guide program, and other service providers. (√)

• Disseminate targeted messages to passengers about the importance of specific practices.

• Develop an environmental awareness campaign to be disseminated through the wider local community.

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CONSErVATION PrOJECTSThe objectives of this initiative were not only to produce this Action Plan, but also to foster immediate action through two to three conservation proj-ects. The Destination Stewardship Working Group established as part of the planning process was charged with overseeing the design, funding and implementation of these conservation projects, which emerged from the multi-sector stakeholder dialogue facilitated by Conservation International. The three conservation projects were selected based on a host of criteria, designed to ensure that the projects were practical and doable over a seven-month timeframe and would demonstrate collaboration among stakeholder groups.

The Destination Stewardship Working Group has identified the following three projects as possible quick-win options, and has been working on the design of the projects and securing funding for their implementation.

Mooring Buoy Project: This project seeks to address anchor dam-age to coral from a spike in boating traffic at highly visited marine recre-ation sites around Belize City. Mooring buoys will be installed at critical snorkeling sites, such as Sergeant’s Caye, Goff’s Caye, Rendezvous Caye and Gallows Point, and a maintenance program will be developed and imple-mented jointly by cruise ship tourism stakeholders. Tourism stakeholders will be working closely with CI’s partner, Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), to draw on its global leadership role and expertise regarding mooring buoy programs.

Greening Initiative for Belize City: This project seeks to make specific contributions to the improvement of Belize City’s image, which is critical to both the cruise visitor’s experience and the cruise lines’ continued support of the destination, by supporting a large-scale tree plant-ing initiative that will create green spaces containing targeted conservation messages for visitors and residents.

Conservation Awareness Video for Cruise Passengers: The aim of this project is to help reduce the visitor footprint in threatened ecosystems by producing and widely disseminating on board cruise ships a short, informative video on Belize, its natural resources and ongoing efforts

PROTECTINGBELIZE’SNATURALHERITAGE:ANACTIONPLANFORSHAREDSTEWARDSHIPOFACRUISEDESTINATION 2�

to conserve and protect these resources. The video would serve as an infor-mational piece as well as invite cruise ship tourists to help Belizeans in their conservation efforts by adhering to good practices when they interact with the environment.

Conservation International and the Belize Tourism Board will monitor and evaluate the on-the-ground impacts of these projects, allowing the work to have continuity and providing a feedback mechanism to enrich the results.


CONCLUSION

This document, An Action Plan for Shared Stewardship of a Cruise Destination, is the result of a collaborative process in which the strategic lines of action, the recommendations and the proposed conservation proj-ects gradually took shape with each meeting and exchange among stake-holders. Each participant brought to this process their knowledge, experi-ence and commitment to preserving the natural heritage of Belize while maintaining a high quality of service for the cruise ship visitor.

Two fundamental concepts on which the participatory process was built that help to maintain its integrity were shared responsibility and common ground. Application of these concepts throughout the initiative enabled each stakeholder group to make pointed contributions at the level at which they were most comfortable.

There is an understanding on the part of all stakeholders that there is no single stakeholder group that is solely responsible either for generating impacts or for managing conservation of Belize’s natural resources to ensure the health of natural systems and the viability of tourism for the future. This understanding enabled a healthy, positive and dynamic dialogue among cruise industry stakeholders. The conservation projects aim to demonstrate that through joint action — in which each sector brings to the table its unique skills and resources — the destination can bring about profound changes that benefit its people, places and businesses. It is recognized that the conservation projects proposed by this initiative are quick-win projects. The hope is that they will serve as a first step in continued multi-stakeholder collaboration that will result in bolder improvements beyond the formal end of this initiative in December 2008.

This Action Plan is meant to serve as a guide for future collaborative action. It is anticipated that the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation the Belize Tourism Board will continue to guide ongoing collaboration and action within Belize’s cruise industry, leading to sound destination stewardship. Action beyond the life of this initiative is critical to safeguarding Belize’s rich natural and cultural resources for future generations.


It is hoped that this participatory planning process inspires similar initia-tives throughout the Caribbean Basin and the world, and that additional cruise ship destinations will join ranks with Belize and Cozumel, Mexico, in defining joint action and establishing joint responsibility for the mana-gement of cruise ship visitation.


ANNEX 1: LIST OF PArTICIPANTS IN THE PArTICIPATOrY PLANNINg PrOCESS

Name OrgaNizatiON

Government Sector:Miguel Alamilla Hol Chan Marine reserveMartin Allegria Department of Environment,

Ministry of Natural resourcesValdemar Andrade Protected Areas Conservation Trust James Azueta Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and

FisheriesElton Bennett Belize Coast guard kendrick Daly Belize Port AuthorityLloyd Enriquez registrar of Hotels, Belize Tourism Board Mauricio Heredia Belize City Council Anthony Mahler Former Deputy Director, Product Development,

Belize Tourism BoardIsaias Majil Fisheries Department Casmore Middleton Customs and Excise DepartmentMaxine Monsanto Department of Environment,

Ministry of Natural resources zenaida Moya Mayor, Belize City Council Tracy Panton Director of Tourism, Belize Tourism Board Marnix Perez Protected Areas Conservation Trust Sharon Perrera Protected Areas Conservation Trust Calvert Quilter City Councilor, Belize City CouncilAdrian rodriguez Belize City Council raymond Sheppard Belize City Council


greg Soberanis Belize Coast guardDerrick Soldano Belize Tourism Police UnitVirginia Vasquez Coastal zone Management Authority

Private Sector: Cassian Aguet Belize National Tour guides Association roland Blair Belize City Tourism Taxi Association Brigitte Bougas Discovery Expeditions Belize Mark Castillo Discovery Divers gilbert Davis Belize National Tour guides Association Laura Esquivel Hooked on Belize David gegg Cruise Solutions Andrew godoy Belize Tourism Industry Association Mike Heusner Belize Hotel Association/Belize river Lodge Albert Longsworth United Taxi Tour Union Stanley Longsworth, Sr. Caribbean Shipping AgencyStanley Longsworth, Jr. Caribbean Shipping Agency Stacey Martinez EuroCaribe Shipping Agency James Nisbet Fort Street Tourism Village Teresa Parkey Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Connection Aldo Perez Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Connection Javier Perez Belize National Tour guides Association Deanna Peyrefitte Belize Tourism Industry Association Tina Pipersburg Hooked on Belizekelvin ramnarace Cruise Solutions Christian riveroll Brown Sugar MarketPlaceJohn Searle Jr. SeaSports Belize Linda Searle SeaSports BelizeWinston Seawell Belize City Tourism Taxi AssociationJoel Torres Belize City Tourism Taxi Association


Lorena Vasquez Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Connection Mike Williams EuroCaribe Shipping AgencyThomas Wilson Bakabush Adventure Tours

nGo Sector: Yvette Alonzo Association of Protected Areas Management

OrganizationsShaini Cawich World Wildlife FundLindsay garbutt Friends of NatureHerbert Haylock Programme for Belize Lionel “Chocolate” Heredia

Friends of Swallow Caye

Anna Hoare Belize Audubon SocietySergio Hoare Wildlife Conservation SocietyNoel Jacobs Mesoamerican Barrier reef System Project Dominque Lizama Belize Audubon Society Alejandro Martinez The Nature ConservancySeleni Matus Conservation InternationalMelanie McField Healthy reefs for Healthy People InitiativeTanya Thompson Belize Audubon Society Angeline Valentine Oak Foundation

cruiSe LineS:Adam Ceserano Florida-Caribbean Cruise Associationgraham Davis Princess CruisesMichele Paige Florida-Caribbean Cruise AssociationMichael ronan royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s Security/Operations Committee


ANNEX 2: LIST OF TOP ISSUES AND POSSIBLE ACTIONS DISCUSSED AT STAkEHOLDEr FOCUS grOUP MEETINgS

theme: PLanninG and ZoninG

Issues Possible Action

• Overcrowding of sites, overuse of sites• Lack of carrying capacity• reef/site zoning• Unregulated coastal tourism development• Lack of mooring buoys • Lack of strong linkages between relevant government agencies and departments

• Establish carrying capacity and/or levels of acceptable change for sites to minimize the traffic capacity per day at sites

• Install buoys and set gPS coordinates for these • rotate use of sites • Establish zoning; designate sites for different use (e.g. areas

for large vs. small groups, sensitive sites, high-use sites)• regulate time departures for activities • Establish booking system for marine operators to avoid

overuse of sites • Ensure proper management/supervision at sites by proper

authorities • Consider visiting permits for non-managed areas • revive the Coastal zone Management Authority and Institute

or similar lead agency to monitor and enforce regulations • Implement the Coastal zone Management Plan as legislation

theme: infraStructure and ServiceS


• City cleanliness• Traffic management• Management of local small vendors • Inadequate waste management systems• Lack of designated anchorage site• Lack of mooring buoys and maintenance • Inadequate city cruise tourism infrastructure

• Upgrade roads (particularly regent and Albert Streets) • Provide incentives to private sector for sponsoring beautifi-

cation project • restore old historic buildings• Implement the Belize City Tourism zone Policy • Install signage in water to mark buoys• Install visible signage to educate cruise ship passengers

about booking tours and safety tips• Increase/improve dockage space, restrooms, rest areas,

garbage receptacles (Continue next page)


theme: infraStructure and ServiceS


• City cleanliness• Traffic management• Management of local small vendors • Inadequate waste management systems• Lack of designated anchorage site• Lack of mooring buoys and maintenance • Inadequate city cruise tourism infrastructure

• Establish docking facilities at sites as well as an interpretative center• Establish/implement a national mooring policy/plan• Establish a handicraft market in a designated area for local vendors • Put signs on board vessels for waste disposal • Enforce no-wake zones; establish new no-wake zones as needed in

highly trafficked areas • Install mooring buoys and anchoring sites (private sector assistance)

at high-priority sites and secure funding for regularly scheduled maintenance for moorings

• Develop a master city plan • Improve signage, streets, maps, trails, bathrooms

theme: monitorinG and comPLiance


• Poor management at sites • Inadequate site monitoring by government

and other advocacy groups • Non-adherence to guide-to-snorkeler ratio • Marine habitat anchor damage by “larger’’

vessels • Lack of follow-up research on impacts on

marine sites

• Increase staffing at sites • Enforce existing regulations • Establish safety standards inspections • Increase capacity of personnel through training and awareness • Develop emergency management plan for highly used sites • Install adequate facilities at sites • Encourage tour operators to use protected areas to generate funds for

marine park management • Develop site-specific visitor use master plan, including carrying capacity

and/or limits of acceptable change as related to site management; plan should be compatible with the National Protected Areas System Plan

• Develop/implement the national coastal zone management plan • Identify and map zoned areas and define levels of use • Establish and implement a monitoring plan for sites used, with funds

allocated for monitoring

This Project is a component of Conservation International’s Mesoamerican

Reef Tourism Initiative (MARTI), a joint venture with Amigos de Sian Ka’an and

the Coral Reef Alliance, which was launched in 2006 with the support of The

Summit Foundation. MARTI’s vision for change is to see tourism become a

force for biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development in

the Mesoamerican Reef region. MARTI aims to ensure that the very qualities

that draw so many tourists to the Mesoamerican Reef region are maintained,

and to demonstrate that biodiversity and human society can harmoniously

co-exist. To this end, MARTI is systematically engaging change agents in key

sectors of the tourism industry – hotels, tour operators and cruise lines – to

significantly reduce the industry’s environmental footprint and maximize its

contributions to the protection of the Mesoamerican Reef.

Conservation International is working with Belize’s Ministry of Tourism

and Civil Aviation, the Belize Tourism Board and an extensive network of

local partners, comprising private-sector businesses and trade associations,

international and local NGOs, and government agencies, to implement this

groundbreaking participatory planning project for Belize ‘s cruise sector. For

more information about the project, please contact Laura Esquivel, Director of

Product Development at the Belize Tourism Board. Email: laura@travelbelize.

org and Tel: +501 227.2420 & 227.2417.

Belize Tourism Board

64 Regent Street

P.O. Box 325

Belize City, Belize

Tel: +501 227.2420

www.belizetourism.org

www.travelbelize.org

Center for Environmental Leadership in Business

Conservation International

2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500

Arlington, VA 22202

Tel: +1 703.341.2400

www.celb.org

www.conservation.org

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