The Orange Walk Town Council and the Orange Walk Chapter of the BTIA signed a 5-year lease agreement on March 31, 2011, granting the Chapter the rights to construct and operate a Tourist Information Center within the Queen Elizabeth Park.
The Tourist Information Center will be designed to advertise maps and details on tourism sites and attractions, as well as a Calendar of Cultural and Recreational Activities, within the Orange Walk District and northern Belize. BTIA’s official travel magazine, Destination Belize, will also be distributed here. The Center will also include a Gift Shop to display and sell the works and products of local artisans. BTIA-OW intends to maintain its Chapter office within the Center.
The lease agreement will allow BTIA-OW to source grant funding and other support for the construction of the Center. Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico, His Excellency Rosendo Urbina, has already pledged support. Mayor Philip de la Fuente has pledged that the OW Town Council will provide the labour for the construction project.
Osmany Salas, President of BTIA-OW, stated: “The Tourist Information Center is a key feature of BTIA-OW’s strategic plan, and brings the Chapter a step closer to achieving its mission of promoting and advocating for responsible and culturally-based tourism for the sustainable economic development of Orange Walk and the benefit of its people.”
