Travel Channel Visits Belize


--Belize City, Wednesday, June 22nd , 2005­ Four crew members and the segment producer of Travel Channel, Catharine Wells, are currently on a one week assignment in Belize.

The emphasis of Travel Channel is on series that capture the passion for travel by immersing in the journey and exploring possibilities, featuring colorful characters and protagonists who share authentic stories. Travel Channel is currently producing a fifth season of an eight show series titled Weird Travels. By combining compelling re-enactments with the reality of modern day verite, the crew will let the locals be their guide as they take them to some of the world’s weirdest and intriguing locales.

The main focus of the segment was the Mayans in the region. While in Belize, the crew visited San Ignacio where they did a tour of Xunantunich and Caracol Maya Site, filmed the Ceiba Trees with the Sac Tunich Cultural Group, filmed the Rio Frio Caves, Footprints Cave, and Gravity Hill on the Hummingbird Highway. While there, they also conducted interviews with Dr. John Morris, Deputy Director of the Institute of Archaeology. The crew then headed south to Punta Gorda and conducted interviews with a traditional Mayan storyteller and healer.

“Travel Channel ranks among the top ten cable TV networks and reaches over 77.7 million homes in the United States,” comments Tourism Director Tracy Panton. “Belize being highlighted on such a prestigious network will definitely boost awareness of the country to such an attractive target market further aiding in making Belize a preferred vacation destination.”

These eight shows, which are each sixty-minutes in length, are expected to air on the Travel Channel in late October, 2005. The series will delve deeper into the destinations a tourist knows and love, and uncover the mysterious history that would not be found in a guidebook.

The Travel Channel is available in almost 78 million homes and is an affiliate of the Discovery Networks, U.S., a unit of Discovery Communications, Inc.

We'll be getting a lot of company soon after it airs.