The Belize Tourism Industry Association does a superior job of printing/publishing a beautiful piece of lithographic art in the form of a magazine that showcases Belize and I can't say enough about how wonderful it is........however
(you knew that was coming didn't you)
It should council some of its advertisers as they are also representing Belize.The editorial content of the magazine is accurate and represents Belize in a truly marvelous way, but the advertisers seem to have a large problem.
One shinning example is the ******* full page color advertisement done by someone who has no clue about where Belize is or what we are about. It depicts El Castillo,a Mayan ruin in Mexico, shows corals only found in the south pacific a bird endemic to 'South' America. All in a package if you want to buy a condo in Belize.
Likewise another advertisement of a casino that is two full page color and has photographs of Las Vegas show girls and men in tuxedos.Another hotel Ad shows a giant clam shell from Tahiti with a young couple kissing behind it, and another a rare macaw found only deep in the rainforest, sunning itself on the beach.
all quite humorous in a way, but sad misrepresentations of who and what we are.

I know what you mean Elbert. They advertise the same false pictures on their websites. Its no wonder some visitors are dissappointed when they arrive.
"What?! No surf on the west side of the island?"
I find it rather funny myself.

the last 2 issues have had a full page ad tauting Ara Macao, and many referances in the text.
if there is a 3rd, that is realy sad as there is still absolultly nothing there but a swamp.
but,, BTB is GOB branch......

edit: BTB puts out destinations not B.T.I.A.

Unfortunately our Destinations magazine is just another victim of world wide false advertising. My company has always ensured that our ads contain pix that are all truly Belizean - and our photos and website pale beside these up-and-coming huge, non-Belizean, misleading, wholly inaccurate sites that are now on the web.

It is a sad example of the times we live in...

Oh come on Amanda you don't mean that - must have been before you had your first cup of coffee. There's no reason at all you can't use Belizean pictures and blow these false advertisers right out of the water - we have some of the worlds greatest natural and man made wonders!!!

Also I was under the impression Destination Belize was a BTIA publication.

Yes it is a BTIA publication but its not the BTIA that has the problem its their advertisers, or the problem could be looked at as who and how they let advertise in their publication.

my mistake,, it does say b.t.i.a. on the cover...

I've noticed exactly the same thing! I recognized that the coral, the fish, etc. didn't match. However, I've seen that in ads for other places too, not just Belize. Still . .it is just plain wrong.

Yes Phil - let me clarify what I MEANT to say - I meant to say that the photos of other places that blow away our shots of awesome natural wonders in Belize are also touched up, you know, airbrushed and every other feature that photoshop has to offer.

Of course those false advertisers not only use bogus photos but reams of false promises and out and out lies to sell their products. As JZB said earlier, no wonder some visitors are disappointed when they arrive.

Belize has so much to offer our visitors, but I wish we could exceed their expectations by not enticing them here with the load of crap that you see advertised these days.

And yes destination Belize is a BTIA publication.

it also seems the only way to get any mention in the text is to buy a color advertisement.
overwhelmingly, the large places can afford the text.