On 11 March 2026, Belize launched a new sustainable program which focuses on conservation and tourism. This is a partnership between the Belize Tourism Board and the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT). The program reinforces commitment to sustainable tourism and protected area management.
The Tourism Enhancement in Protected Areas Program aims to strengthen visitor experiences while supporting conservation efforts and community development within the country’s protected areas. At the launch, the program’s first funding cohort consisting of three organizations were introduced.
A committee of representatives from BTB, PACT, the Ministry of Tourism, Youth, Sports, and Diaspora Relations, and the National Biodiversity Office selected the projects. The project owners are the Belize Karst Habitat Conservation, the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, and the Belize Audubon Society.
Sustainable Conservation and Tourism Projects
The projects for the first cohort will support tourism enhancement and conservation in Belize:
- Belize Karst Habitat Conservation (BKHC): Implementation of the Thousand Foot Falls Tourism Enhancement Project. It includes road upgrades, solar power system installation and refurbishment of a multi-purpose building.
- Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA): Development of the Sustainable Tourism and Conservation – Turneffe Atoll Project. It includes the construction of a new pier, shaded rest areas , an observation tower, a gift shop and a ranger outpost with radar technology.
- The Belize Audubon Society (BAS): Implementation of the Sustainable Tourism and Community Development Project at St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park. It includes trail and cave pathway rehabilitation, parking and facility upgrades, and cave tour training.
Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management praised the partnership. He said it “reflects a shared national understanding that sustainable tourism depends on healthy ecosystems, and healthy ecosystems depend on sustained investment and stewardship.”
Image: Belize Tourism Board
