The Mexican delegation enjoying a delicious dinner at Belize Legacy Resort with Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., Manager Jose Meggs and Owner Rod Ralston during their Belize Familiarization Tour.

Iranian Ambassador His Excellency Doctor Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh presented his credentials to Governor General Sir Colville Young and took the opportunity to enjoy the sights of Ambergris Caye.

        Along with his assistant, His Excellency traveled North and was hosted by Belize Legacy Resort. On Wednesday, Honorable Abyaneh boarded Legacy’s boat en-route to the resort. Joyful and ecstatic to be on the island, while on the boat he kept putting his hand out and feeling the cool water splash over him.

        Arriving at Legacy Resort, he was escorted to his room to get ready for dinner and an interview with The San Pedro Sun. That same evening, Legacy was also host to a Mexican delegation comprised of 25 representatives that included tour operators, media houses, TV Azteca Quintana Roo, Canal 10 Quintana Roo, TV Tabasqueña, members of the Tourism Secretariat in Mexico and Mexican Airlines.

        The delegation arrived on Ambergris Caye as part of the Belize Tourism Industry Association’s first Mexico Belize Workshop (BTIA). According to BTIA, in 2007, Mexico accounted for only two percent of all overnight stays. The purpose of both the workshop held on Monday, June 16th, at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza, and the Familiarization Tour, was to give Mexican participants an in-depth look at the Belize tourism product. This, BTIA hopes, will garnish more traffic between both countries, since it gave the delegation a “hands on” experience of the country and the many services and attractions provided by the Belizean industry.

        The visiting delegation traveled on three various itineraries which included tours of Orange Walk, Belize Rural Valley, Cayo, Belmopan, Hopkins, Dangriga, Placencia and San Pedro.

        His Excellency Abyaneh arrived to dinner barefoot and enjoying the sand between his toes, a luxury, he says he hadn’t enjoyed before. In an interview with The San Pedro Sun he explained that the purpose of his visit, aside from presenting his credentials, was to look at potential investment in Belize. Originally from Terra, Iran, His Excellency does believe that Belize is a great investment market but more research is required. “The country is rich,” he explained, “it is very beautiful and rich.” According to diplomat Abyaneh, Belize is “green and that is what makes you rich. […] Nature is abundant, there is a lot of waterways, what comes from the sky is diamond and much more valuable than petroleum. In Belize, there is no dessert, hardly any concrete, it is green and that is what makes it rich.”

        During the interview, Honorable Abyaneh stated that Government plays a very important role in the way their citizens grow. “Opportunities need to be offered to the poor not only to the rich. In many countries, citizens that are either the minority or of the poor working class, feel that there is no way out and that their opportunities are minimal. This trend prevents the country from growing. Government needs to offer more opportunities to them and the country will be in a better place.”

        As Ambassador of Iran to Belize, His Excellency plans on sharing technology and knowledge with Belizean counterparts in an effort to better the country. Iran has invested much money in the United States of America and it is the hopes that the same can be accomplished in Belize. “Investment gives quick results,” he stated.

        In the entire country of Belize there are five or six families or a total of 15 individuals from Iran.