‘Ecotourism’ Takes Off in Belize Featuring Sea, Jungle, Ancient Archeological Sites

Tourism is on the rise in Belize but it’s not the beer-and-Coppertone crowd that comes to this tiny Central American nation.

In an effort to boost the economy but preserve the environment, Belize is pushing “ecotourism.” Instead of surfing and theme parks, tourists explore the Caribbean Sea, the jungle and ancient archeological sites.

The tactic seems to have worked. In 1990, more than 117,000 tourists came to Belize, which has a population of just 184,000. Tourism is the fastest-growing sector of the economy and ranks second in importance behind sugar and citrus exports.

“Ecotourism--that is what Belize is selling,” said Norris Hall, a spokesman for the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “This is a new tourism trend.”

In Belize, that translates into snorkeling and scuba-diving trips in the Caribbean Sea to explore the nearby barrier reef, the longest unbroken living coral reef in the world. Others come to see jaguars and black howler monkeys whose rasping cry can be heard across the jungle a mile away.

Bird watchers can find macaws, sandpipers and the Jabiru Stork--the largest flying bird in the Western Hemisphere--at a number of wildlife sanctuaries. Like southern Mexico and Guatemala, Belize was also home to ancient Mayan Indian communities; their ruined temples dot the countryside.

“I think Belize was ‘discovered’ largely by word of mouth,” said Joseph Waight, deputy economics minister. “Ten years ago, no one had ever heard of Belize.”

Still, government officials say tourism is something of an artificial economy on which they do not want to become overly dependent. Waight said agriculture will remain the country’s leading economic entity because it is considered a more stable export earner.

The economy grew by about 9% in 1990, in part because of tourism and rising sugar prices. Agriculture accounts for 30% of Belize’s gross domestic product and brings in 70% of its export earnings. But the country must still import much of its food, and there is now a push to become self-sufficient in food production.

Although tourism has generally grown in Belize over the last decade, it can be a fickle industry with countries and Caribbean islands going in and out of style. Most visitors to Belize come from the United States so the industry is closely tied to the performance of the U.S. economy.

There are also concerns that tourism could spin out of control and lead to unbridled development, inflated prices for locals and changes among the country’s diverse ethnic communities.

The tourism boom has led to a sharp rise in construction as new hotels are going up in Belize City and the Caribbean islands of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Tour operators are also multiplying.

Harry Lawrence, publisher of the Belize City newspaper The Reporter, said the country is under pressure from U.S. gambling interests to legalize gambling and open casinos in Belize. Foreign companies are also starting to dominate the tourism industry, said Dylan Vernon of SPEAR, a Belize City research center.

“San Pedro has changed overnight from family-run to corporate-owned,” Vernon said, referring to a popular island resort town on Ambergris Caye.

Others argue that large foreign companies have the money to develop first-class projects. Belize is dotted with half-built condominiums and projects that ran out of money.

Many observers give the government high marks for going after the tourist dollar in a rational way. It turned down many development offers in the 1960s and ‘70s and much of the country remains isolated and unpopulated, lacking roads and infrastructure. But these same factors have helped preserve the country’s ecology and have led to the surge in ecotourism.

The ecotourism trend appears to be spreading. In July, Belize will host Latin America’s first conference on ecotourism.