by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 16, 2023
On Wednesday, March 16, the BTB (Belize Tourism Board) unveiled its 12-episode series, Our People, Food, and Culture, at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. A preview of the 12-part video series, which will be hosted by Chef Sean Kuylen, was shown to stakeholders. The series highlights six destinations across Belize, showcasing their attractions along with their respective special dishes and cultural heritage.
“Belize has always been known for its natural attractions; we know about the Belize Barrier Reef, we know about the Blue Hole, the atolls, the jungles, but we haven’t been able to focus so far enough on the food, the people, the history. We know that people travel and they need to eat and they want to experience the cultures. So, this is an important opportunity for us to highlight the variety and diversity of cultures within Belize,” Nicole Solano, CEO of the Ministry of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, said.
“From a tourism perspective, when we put the show off, we are looking at it from the perspective of the traveler and what they are looking for…very important for us is to showcase what the diversity is, but in a very authentic way,” CEO Solano noted.
The entire project took almost a year to complete, and the filming was done over a few months. Because it was only a few months of filming, some locations such as San Pedro and Orange Walk weren’t highlighted.
Josue Carballo, Director of Industry Development for BTB told local reporters about the storytelling and why the locations were chosen.
“It is about the story-telling. It’s about the traditions, the cultures, and setting up a…background to what Belize is in six diverse regions which show the richness that we have as a country. Through our national sustainable master plan, there are also other destinations called emerging destinations. Under industry development, it is our job to create these new platforms, these new areas of development to visit…these areas were chosen based on where we see potential,” he said.
The episodes can be viewed by the international audience on BTB’s online platforms, and it will be televised for locals.