The Cabinet directed the Ministry of Immigration to proceed with the
opening of an Immigration Office and the stationing of Immigration
Officers at San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

More than $28 million dollars will be pumped into a major
Tourism Development Project now being negotiated between the Government
of Belize and the Inter-American Development Bank Cabinet today gave
Minister Mark Espat's Ministry of Tourism the green light to conclude
the negotiations for the project which will concentrate on consolidating

existing archaeological sites and improving access to them. The project

emerged from recommendations contained in Belize's 10-year National
Tourism Development Plan. The plan identifies archaeology as a key
component of Belize's viability as a leading tourism destination in this

region. In 1998, 82,529 visitors were hosted at Belize's ten available
Maya sites, with Xunantunich attracting the most visitors. IDB will
contribute $22 million to the project, and GOB counterpart funding is $6

million. Two companion grant projects associated with tourism will also

be included in the package. The first is a $2 million Human Resources
Development Grant for a countrywide training and certification programme

for the tourism and hospitality industries. There is also $390,000
earmarked for a Solid Waste Management Plan for the island of Caye
Caulker.

I hope they will be very, very careful. Tourists come to a region to see what is there, not what man has made out of them.