Community Resistance to Mass Cruise Tourism in Southern Belize

Focus of Work: In late 2009, a private development group submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister of Belize to establish a new cruise port in the southern coastal village of Placencia. Many tourism industry stakeholders, conservation organizations and civil society groups believed at the time that government had not adequately prepared for cruise tourism in the past, especially in the capitol, Belize City. In response to criticism and to inform the Cabinet on the proposal’s potential economic, social, and environmental impacts, the Belize Tourism Board and Ministry of Tourism commissioned Seatone to assess the viability, from a broad social perspective, of a second cruise port in Placencia.

Our Approach: Seatone conducted situational assessment interviews with a balanced set of 28 indigenous and stakeholder interest groups in southern Belize, then facilitated a series of public meetings and prepared a final report for government consideration. Key findings revealed widespread resistance to a mass tourism cruise model in the area. Many felt government had not been transparent and forthcoming about the plans this private developer put forward with Royal Caribbean Cruises, or that enough information was available to properly evaluate benefits and drawbacks. The final Seatone report captured the outcomes of the public engagement process and included several recommendations.

Key Outcomes: While a minority of individuals and businesses in the tourism sector expressed support for “small scale” cruise ships, most residents in Placencia and nearby communities resoundingly rejected the proposal. The central recommendation which emerged from the Seatone-led public engagement process (interviews followed by public meetings) was that the government of Belize should not approve a new port of call (port designation), contract, or agreement with cruise lines, developers, or affiliates for operations on the Placencia Peninsula. This recommendation, bolstered by the detailed findings and conclusions in the report, led to the withdrawal and eventual cancellation of the proposal.

Click on the hyperlink link below or the cover above and to the right to access the full 2011 report that Seatone prepared for the Belize Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture. 

• A Social Viability Assessment of Cruise Tourism in Southern Belize