BELIZE CITY,
Belize -- The most recent tourism stats from Belize should make the
new tourism minister's job a piece of cake.
In a cabinet
reshuffle in December, Godfrey Smith was named to replace Mark
Esplat as tourism head; Travey Taegar-Panton remains as director of
tourism. Smith was formerly the minister of foreign
affairs.
Through November,
Belize welcomed more than 208,000 visitors, a jump of 4.6% over the
first 11 months of 2003. Cruise passengers, who arrived on 357
ships, numbered close to 748,000, a 55% leap over 2003's
figures.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].