On Friday, April 11th, the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) San Pedro Chapter hosted a Membership Mixer event at its Tourism Information Center across from the Saca Chispas field. The event aimed to share information about the work and advocacy efforts of both the local chapter and the national BTIA within the tourism industry and encourage new businesses to become members.
Starting at 6PM, Tamara Sniffin, BTIA First Vice President (National) and San Pedro BTIA advisor, welcomed everyone in attendance. She briefly spoke on the importance of BTIA, stating, “This island is fuelled by tourism, and together we can improve our travel product while bettering the quality of life for everybody who calls San Pedro home.”
She then invited San Pedro BTIA Chairperson Melanie Paz to deliver the official address. Paz began by providing an overview of the activities in which the San Pedro Chapter has been involved. According to Paz, the San Pedro BTIA is represented on several vital boards within the community, including the San Pedro Citizens Advisory Board, the Coastal Advisory Committee, and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Committee. She also spoke on the advocacy work done by San Pedro BTIA, including attending public consultations and meetings that concern the tourism industry, such as the continued consultations on the controversial Cayo Rosario development. “We maintain a working relationship with the Mayor of San Pedro, Area Representatives, and Officers in Charge of the Police Department,” said Paz.
Paz also mentioned the importance of membership growth for the San Pedro BTIA. “Our main thing this year is to recruit membership. As you know, any organization such as ours needs the strength of members to become a stronger voice for anything that happens to our island. So, it is very important for us to have more members.” She concluded by encouraging everyone to join the BTIA, the largest tourism advocacy organization in the country.
Invited guest, San Pedro Town Councilor Jose Castellanos, also congratulated the San Pedro BTIA on their work in the community and reaffirmed the San Pedro Town Council’s commitment to working together with them. “This is a great partnership we have with the BTIA, and it is important because with the collaboration, we can get fresh ideas and new inputs for the island. But for this to work, they need more members and need to grow. That is crucial to bringing more people together to help each other and help the community,” said Castellanos.
The last to speak at the event was BTIA National President Efren Perez. “There is a lot of work that BTIA does nationally, and I think we have not gotten to the point where this is brought up to our membership. BTIA serves on several boards across the country. We are an advocacy group, and we look at the issues affecting the different destinations. Every destination is quite unique in terms of the issues they have. But I am very happy to say we have an excellent team in every chapter for us to be able to ensure that whatever work we are doing, we are collaborating with all our key partners to ensure the sustainable development of the industry,” said Perez.
President Perez also reassured the local chapter that the national BTIA will continue to support them and applauded their work and active engagement in the community. “La Isla Bonita, an iconic destination, not only represents the best of Belize’s tourism product but also reflects the passion and resilience for a community determined to grow sustainable,” said Perez. “I am honored to stand here with you to celebrate your achievements, reflect on our challenges that lay ahead, and reaffirm our shared commitment to the sustainable development of San Pedro and its surrounding treasures. Over the past years, BTIA has continued to serve as a strong voice for tourism stakeholders across the county.” He ended by stating that BTIA will remain “unwavering” in its mission to protect and enhance Belize’s tourism sector.
The evening concluded with attendees savoring a delightful taco dinner prepared by island chef Mel Spain and cocktails served by 501 Drift & Drink. Several participants also took the opportunity to inquire about membership and even signed up at the event.
Anyone interested in learning more about BTIA San Pedro or becoming a member can email them at [email protected], visit www.btia.org, or stop by the Tourism Information Center between 11AM and 5PM Monday through Friday.
