The 2025 Belize Investment Summit officially opened on Thursday, September 4th, at Grand Caribe Resort north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The biennial summit, the largest of its kind in Belize, brings together investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from around the world. This year’s event, held under the theme “Bridging Markets, Building Resilience,” drew more than 500 participants and highlighted Belize’s efforts to strengthen international partnerships and build a more resilient economy.
Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, Ishmael Quiroz, outlined the program ahead of the opening. “We will have our Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. John Briceño, who is going to be a keynote speaker alongside invited guests like Dr. Ernesto Stein from the Tec de Monterrey,” he said. “He is doing a very in-depth diagnostic of Belize’s economic performance, as well as identifying opportunities for regional trade and a role that Belize can play as we move towards regionalization and the opportunities presenting themselves.”
Quiroz added that other high-profile speakers included Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, whose experience in luxury tourism is expected to provide valuable insights. “They will greatly benefit from hearing his perspective, experience, and we are looking forward to hearing what they will share with Belize,” Quiroz said.
The opening ceremony began at 9AM with the National Anthem and National Prayer, followed by remarks from Narda Garcia, Chief Executive Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister. The program continued with a presentation by Stein on navigating the global trade era. He emphasized Belize’s potential growth in agriculture and services.
“One way to move forward is to further explore other markets and increase the amount of products it can export,” Stein said. “Another way to increase the local economy is by consuming more Belizean products and reducing imports.” He noted that Belize has strong potential to be a regional trade leader, particularly given its advantage of English as the official language.
His presentation was followed by Stewart’s address on redefining the luxury experience. Introduced by Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Anthony Mahler, Stewart highlighted the importance of rebranding to enhance Belize’s tourism product. “Belize has tremendous amount of beauty and the potential to be a major hub for tourism in the region,” he said. Stewart stressed the importance of investing in staff to improve service and productivity, attracting the right type of investment to align with local values, and engaging sectors from agriculture to entertainment to create a distinctive visitor experience.
Prime Minister Briceño later delivered the keynote address, focusing on Belize’s economic transformation and the government’s vision for future investment. “We have seen a lot of interest over the years and as others, this will be another successful summit,” he said. Briceño affirmed that Belize remains open for business and announced that the country will soon begin exporting marine products to Taiwan. He invited investors to “believe in Belize and be part of the transformation of the Jewel for the benefit of all.”
The summit also included the signing of agreements, among them a loan arrangement between the Government of Belize and the Inter-American Development Bank to improve workforce participation and employability, and a Memorandum of Understanding with Santander.
Day one concluded with presentations on the strategic development of Belize’s mainland port and ministerial panel discussions on investment and partnerships. Day two featured additional panel sessions, networking opportunities, and forums for stakeholders to share business ideas.
The first Belize Investment Summit was held on November 10, 2021, as part of the government’s strategy to attract investment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers expressed gratitude to participants and sponsors for making the 2025 summit possible. Sponsors included the Inter-American Development Bank, Caye Chapel Belize, Belize Financial Services Commission, the European Union, the Central Bank of Belize, the Development Finance Corporation, the CARICOM Development Fund, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Bowen and Bowen Ltd., the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, the Belize Tourism Board, Nando’s Wholesale, Digicell, Benny’s, Belize Airports Authority, Maya Island Air, Smart, Santander Group, Atlantic Bank, Belize Bank, the National Bank of Belize, Belize Foam Ltd., Caribbean Chicken, Finance Belize, Cementos Progreso, Vin’s Liquors Ltd., Honey Coast Energy, Alaia Hotel, Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future, St. Francis Xavier Credit Union Ltd., Corozal Free Zone, Belize Water Services, Heritage Bank Ltd., and IMMARBE Belize.
