Comments on: Belize Sustainable Tourism Project: The Cayo Welcome Center in San Ignacio

By: Scott Ophof

Scott Ophof — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:43:17 +0000

Let’s start out by admitting it’s a good idea to get as many facts and sides as one can before putting one’s foot in one’s mouth, as I did here.
Understanding that one of the reasons for the project is to get more local cultural activity to take place here gives so much more depth to it. In other words, revive traditions of old!
So scratch the ‘cookie-cutter anywhere-in-the-world’ gripe. Replace it with being able to enjoy listening to music played by local musicians, crafts shows by local artists, taking an evening stroll through the Plaza when in a romantic mood. Isn’t that what we really want? Being able to sit at the Amore Mio restaurant with a nice lime juice after a pasta dinner while listening to the music from the Plaza is my idea of enjoying life in the tropics, something I would very much like to see in San Ignacio. And have missed, actually!
Please stay tuned for more removing of feet from my big mouth!

By: Scott Ophof

Scott Ophof — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:55:53 +0000

Good idea. NOT!
- Suppliers will be able to reach the stores and restaurants sooo much more easily. NOT!
- The parking lot waaay over there is going to be carefully patrolled against robbers. NOT!
- The pitiful few trees are going to provide so much more shade than what we have now. NOT!
- Tourists will just love losing what makes San Ignacio as wonderful as it is right now. NOT!

To me myself it sounds more like a good recipe to scare the tourists away; too modern and cookie-cutter standard anywhere-in-the-world destination.

Of course it all depends on what one defines/sees as ‘improvement’. Does that 2.8 million include maintenance for at least 20 years after completion?

By: Francisco Montero

Francisco Montero — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:09:43 +0000

So glad this project has been given the go. It definitely signifies progress and will be of great positive impact to our town’s industry stakeholders and the industry nation-wide for that matter. Cayo is a prominent tourism destination in Belize and the moneys for this project could certainly be considered wisely invested