PACT and BTB Launch New Protected Areas Tourism Program

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) have officially launched the Tourism Enhancement in Protected Areas (TEPA) program, which is the result of a two-year partnership formalized to develop a structured selection process that evaluated protected areas based on their tourism attraction potential, capacity for increased visitation, management effectiveness, biodiversity considerations, and existing business and management plans. The result is a targeted, cohort-based approach designed to maximize impact, with the current rollout designated as Cohort One of the program. Erin Gongora, sustainable development officer for BTB, what the initiative is about and how it will benefit Belize’s wildlife and tourism.

Three organizations have been named as the inaugural TEPA grantees: the Belize Khrisna Heritage Council (BKHC), co-manager of the Thousand Footfalls Natural Monument; the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, which manages the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve; and the Belize Audubon Society, managers of St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park. Each grantee will use the funding to implement key initiatives aimed at enhancing the tourism experience within their respective protected areas while promoting Belize’s conservation offerings to both local and international visitors.