TOURISM INTERNSHIP REPORT

2007

Internship Report
Travel and Tourism Department
Ming Chuan University International College
Taiwan R.O.C

Solange Sanchez
886 936 244 510 sweetbelizeangirl@gmail.com #69 De- Ming Rd.
Gwei-Shan, Taoyuan,
Taiwan R.O.C

Belize Tourism Board
501 227 2420
64 Regent Street,
Belize City,
Belize C.A. www.travelbelize.org www.belizetourism.org

Supervisor: Anthony Mahler
501 227 2420

Start Date for Internship: July 4, 2007
End Date for Internship: September 18, 2007

Report Date:
February 18, 2009
PREFACE

As part of my Bachelor’s Degree completion I have completed 400 internship hours at the Belize Tourism Board Located in Belize City, Belize. In this report I will share my experiences for the period of July1, 2007 to September 18, 2007. During my internship my role, responsibilities and obligations were to the Product Development Department. Here I have noted my experiences as well as provided some recommendations for the organization’s development.
CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE 2

LIST OF TABLES 4

LIST OF APPENDICES 5

1. INTRODUCTION 6

2. INTERN ORGANIZATION 7 Mission Statement/ Objectives Board Duties Organizational Structure Board of Directors Product Development Overview Product Development Staff

3. INTERNSHIP WORK REFLECTION 20

4. CONCLUDING ANALYSIS 29 Key Learnings Recommendations Conclusion

5. REFERENCE 32

LIST OF TABLES

Belize Tourism Board Organizational Chart Structure
Board of Directors and Duties
Product Development Officers and Duties
LIST OF APPENDIXES

Internship Pictures and Brief Description

Curriculum Vitae: Solange Sanchez

Recommendation Letter from the Dr. Chang

Internship Agreement by fax

Application to Extend Internship Dates

Letter from Human Resource Manager

Tourism Industry Training Advertisement

Vibrant Dishes Lists

Sample Letter to Media

Sample Letter to Participants

Tourism Industry Report Un-edited Advertisement

September Celebrations Committee Staff working Groups

September Celebrations Calendar of Events 1

September Celebrations Calendar of Events 2 (Flyer & Poster)

Sample Reference Material for Sustainable Tourism Project

Belize Tourism Board Package

INTRODUCTION

Ming Chuan University International College calls for mandatory internship before any student can successfully complete his/her 4yrs of study. Along with the practical internship a student must submit a written report of his/ her time and experiences at the internship organization. This report is thus an account of my completed internship period.

In order to complete graduation requirements, I chose to undergo 400 internship hours in the Product Development Department of the Belize Tourism Board. The period originally assigned for the internship was July 1st to August 31st, due to company working hours the assigned time would have only been sufficient to complete 350 hours. I requested an extension, thus, my internship carried on to September 18th.
INTERNSHIP ORGANIZATION:
Belize Tourism Board
64 Regent Street, Belize City, Belize C.A 501 227 2420

Internship Department: Product Development
Internship Supervisor: Mr. Anthony Mahler

Belize Tourism Board is a company located in Belize City, Belize Central America. It was formed within The Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the government of Belize and the private sector.
Mission Statement
The Belize Tourism Board is a statutory body within the Ministry of Tourism, which represents a strategic partnership between government and the private sector to develop, market, and implement tourism programs that will fulfill the emerging needs of our local industries and the international tourism marketplace for the benefit of Belize and Belizeans.
The responsibilities of the BTB include, but are not limited to, the following: • Planning, developing, and promoting the tourism industry • Developing the tourism product locally • Encouragement of private investment in tourism • Issuance and management of licenses for the tourism hotel industry, tour guide, and tour operators • Surveys and planning related to natural and cultural tourism resources • Maintenance of historical sites and beauty spots in tourist areas • Vetting the standards of facilities as offered by the tourism hotel industry • Assisting in the supervision and improvement of the tourism environment • Conducting tourist market surveys and research • Offering prompt and efficient service in every capacity to visitors at all times • Marketing of Belize as a tourism product both locally and internationally
The duties of the Board include the following: • Developing all aspects of the tourism industry of Belize and promoting the efficiency of the industry • Marketing Belize as a tourist destination • Promoting and securing increased airline and shipping facilities in order to increase tourist traffic to Belize • Securing the most favorable arrangements for the entry of tourists into Belize • Encouraging measures as it may deem fit for the development of such amenities in Belize. These amenities should enhance the attractiveness of Belize to tourists with special reference to entertainment, local culture, conservation of flora and fauna, deep sea fishing, scuba diving and handicrafts • Undertaking such research, experiments, and operations necessary to improve the tourism industry and to control and eliminate any undesirable factors that may affect the industry • Fostering and understanding within Belize of the importance and economic benefits of the tourism industry. • Encouraging and promoting training for staff • Classifying hotels according to the amenities provided • Making all such inquiries and collecting all such information as it may think necessary for the purpose of carrying out its duties • Fostering and understanding within Belize of an importance of environmental protection and pollution control and the conservation of natural resources
Generally the BTB undertakes all such other lawful measures it may consider helpful in effectively executing the act.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

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Since the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) was changed to a statutory body in April 1990, it has been the main policy making mechanism for the tourism sector.
Additional responsibility for policy-making lies with the Belize National Tourism Council (BNTC) made up of people active and involved in tourism. BTB works closely with the Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Archaeology & the Boarder Management Agency in the establishment of Tourism Policies as well as with the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) and other organizations from the private sector family such as the BNTOA, BETA, BAOA, etc.
The operational management of the organization is performed by a Director of Tourism/CEO, a Registrar of Hotels, and four Directors (Marketing and Public Relations, Product Development, Hotels, and Finance & Administration) and a 35 member staff divided into four functional departments.
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Duties and Functions of the Board of Directors

It shall be the duty of the Board, within the limits of its resources-
a.) To develop all aspects of the tourist industry of Belize and to promote the efficiency of the industry;
b.) To adopt all such measures, as it may deem fit, to advertise and publicize Belize as a tourist resort throughout the year;
c.) To promote and secure such increased airline and shipping facilities as will tend to increase tourist traffic to Belize;
d.) To secure the most favorable arrangements for the entry of tourists into Belize;
e.) To encourage, by such measures as it may deem fit, the development of such amenities in Belize as may be calculated to enhance the attractiveness of Belize to tourists with special reference to entertainment, local culture, conservation of local flora and fauna, deep sea fishing, scuba diving and handicrafts;
f.) To undertake such research, experiments and operations as may appear to it be necessary to improve the basis of the tourist industry and to control and eliminate any undesirable factors that may affect the industry;
g.) To foster an understanding within Belize of the importance and economic benefit of the tourist industry;
h.) To encourage and promote training facilities for hotel staff;
i.) To classify hotels according to the standard amenities provided;
j.) To make all such inquiries and to collect all such information as it may think necessary for the purpose of carrying out its duty under this section;
k.) To foster understanding within Belize of the importance of environmental protection and pollution control and the conservation of natural resources;
l.) Generally to take all such other lawful measures as it may consider likely to assist it in carrying out most effectively the purposes of this Act.
Board of Directors

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Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation
Hon. Manuel Heredia

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Chief Executive Officer Director of Tourism
Mr. Michael Singh Mrs. Tracy Panton

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Chairman Deputy Chairman BTIA Representative
Mr. Gaspar Guerrero Mr. Santino Castillo Mrs. Rosella Zabaneh

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BHA Representative Mr. Einer Gomez Mr. Elito Arceo
Mrs. Mariam Roberson

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Mr. Lindsey Garbutt Mr. Neal Bradley Mr. Stanley Longsworth

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Secretary Ms. Joycelyn Mckoy
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW
Mission Statement
The Product Development Department is charged with developing Belize as a premier tourist destination by designing and implementing meaningful programs that will improve the social, environmental, and economic position of our country. Objectives • To find creative ways to educate and sensitize Belizeans about the socio-economic impacts of tourism on Belize • To develop and expand the internal and external systems used to collect and analyze information and data • To strengthen tourism regulations and policing of the tourism industry • To improve the infrastructure and tourism product in Belize • To equip the tourism labor force with the skills and knowledge needed

Belize’s tourism product is multi-faceted in nature, from commercial to non- commercial, from tangible to the intangible. These elements include our natural and human resources, as well as man-made infrastructure and services. As a result, B.T.B’s Product Development Department has concentrated its efforts on developing an attractive and viable tourism product and tourism-related infrastructure and services in Belize.

Human Resource Development & Training:
The tourism industry is labor intensive and involves people at all levels from those involved in formulating tourism development plans to persons involved in accommodations, restaurants and tour guide sectors. As the number of vacation spots continue to increase and as expectations grow, it is vital that we find new and creative ways of equipping industry personnel with the necessary tools to meet this demand. The Product Development Department accomplishes this by developing systematic but aggressive approaches that present interested parties with the opportunity to enter, train and advance in the tourism industry.

Product Enhancement:
Belize is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. In order for tourism to reach the expected growth, the preservation and responsible management of our resources and the sustainable development of infrastructure are paramount. The Product Development Department is charged with developing Belize as a premier tourist destination by designing and implementing meaningful programs aimed at improving the social, environmental and economic position of Belize.

Public Awareness:
The stigma of tourism being an industry that is only made up of waiters and waitresses is still embedded in the minds of many Belizeans. In an effort to change this perception, the product development department believes that it is important to implement aggressive public awareness programs that will educate and sensitize Belizeans about the important role that everyone plays in the tourism industry thereby affecting the overall development of Belize.

Data Management:
The Product Development Department is responsible for collecting and disseminating accurate and relevant information to Belize’s private and public sectors in order for them to thoroughly understand and determine the new trends and performance of Belize’s Tourism Industry.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STAFF

Ms. Laura Esquivel
Director of Product Development
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Romy Haylock
Product Development Officer
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Runs the Qualified Retired Incentive Program
Manage projects from International Funding Agencies

Kenneth Williams
Product Development Officer

Is responsible for licensing Tour Operators and Tour Guides and enforcing legislation
Keesha Young
Product Development Officer
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Is responsible for tourism training and education unit
Coordinate new manuals
Coordinate Scholarship Opportunities locally, internationally – Tour Guide & Dive Scholarships

Shauma Hall
Product Development Officer
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Is responsible for the entry of data from all boarder points to be used in statistical reports
Cross checks figures received from Immigration Department against BTB count
Assists in the making of Tour Operator and Tour Guide license.
Mr. Evan Young
Product Development Officer
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Is responsible for Belize Rural Development Projects
Coordinate Visitor Center
Coordinate on small Tourism Enterprise Project
Nikkia Gomez
Product Development Officer
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Is responsible for the entry of data from all boarder points to be used in statistical reports
Cross checks figures received from Immigration Department against BTB count Enters Cruise Ship Data, File
Lorraine Herrera
Product Development Officer
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Creates public awareness of all tourism activities by doing presentations at schools and NGO's
Coordinates sponsorship and advertisements for all major tourism activities and events
Organize presentations at schools and other organizations
Mr. Michael Arana
Product Development Officer

Provide expertise in statistical techniques and predictive methods to characterized process for optimal control
Develop, implement, and maintain statistical programs

Prepare and run statistical analysis and provide cost estimate.
INTERNSHIP WORK REFLECTION

On July 4, 2007, I reported to Mr. Evan Tillett, the Director of Finance and Administration. Mr. Tillett informed me that I would be placed under the supervision of Mr. Anthony Mahler, The Director of the Product Development Department. He also explained that since BTB was relocating, actual orientation would be scheduled for Tuesday, July 10, 2007.

On the week of July 9-13, 2007, BTB relocated to a more centralized location in Belize City. Everyone was still in the process of organizing files and arranging office furniture. The office officially opened to the public on Monday, July 16, 2007. Thus, my internship orientation had been rescheduled until then. During this time, I was able to get comfortable in the office, meet the staff and become familiar with the day to day running of the office.

On July 16, I finally met with the director in charge of my internship. He, Anthony Mahler, was formerly the Director in charge of the Product Development Department. Mr. Anthony Mahler first discussed the organization’s structure which includes Management, Finance and Administration, Hotels, Marketing, and the Product Development Department. Mr. Mahler also explained to me in detail what my duties at the Belize Tourism Board consisted of as well as what my obligations were to the company. He was also concerned about what Ming Chuan University expected of me during this internship, thus, I had the opportunity to explain to him what was expected of me. My duties at the Belize Tourism Board were bound to those of the Product Development Department as this is where I was placed for my internship. My responsibilities included but were not limited to: data entry, public awareness, application for tour guides, tour operators, work permits, community tourism proposals, and sponsorships, and community assessments to promote tourism. The core of my internship work contribution however was the organizing of a variety of Tourism Hospitality Training programs for local citizens involved in the tourism trade in order to improve the service sector of our country. Mr. Anthony Mahler then introduced me to Ms. Angelica Luna who would be in charge of guiding and instructing me on the tasks necessary to carry out and successfully complete the organizing of all training programs which I would be assigned. The main training programs which I was assigned to organize were the Food and Beverage training, the Front Office training, and the Bartending training. After the meeting with the Product Development Director, I was formally introduced to the Belize Tourism Board Staff which included all members of each Department as well as to the Director of Tourism at the Belize Tourism Board. After orientating with my supervisor and being introduced to staff I met with Ms. Angelica Luna, the Product Development Officer responsible of directing and overseeing my internship training.

Preparation for the Food and Beverage began on the following day, July 17, 2007, because my orientation lasted an entire day. The Food and Beverage Training was aptly title The Vibrant Dishes Training, thus from here on I shall be referring to the Food and Beverage Training by it’s proper name, the Vibrant Dishes Training Course. Due to relocating and setting up of the new office, all preparations for the Vibrant Dishes Training Course were interrupted and set back at least a week. Therefore, we were limited on time and had to work vigorously to meet the deadline.

My first project, The Vibrant Dishes Training Course, involved numerous tasks from setting up grocery lists to shopping to booking airplane tickets and even setting up the venue of the course. In the past I have seen advertisements for these types of training courses held by the Belize Tourism Board and other tourism related organization in the country, but it’s not until now that I have had the opportunity to have first hand experience in the setting up of such a course. I must say that it is more complicated than one I expected as it requires plenty of attention to details and a lot of time. The first step in preparing for the course was a general briefing by Ms. Angelica Luna. In this brief orientation she went through the importance of such course, the preparation, costs and listed individuals involved in the running of the course as well as the participants. The Head Chef for this course was coming straight to us from the New York Culinary Institute of America. He, the Head Chef, had sent us his course outline along with a list of food items and utensils that he and the participants would need for the entire course, so I had to go through it and figure out what things we already had and which things were available in Belize. The sorting out of the list was one of the most tedious and time consuming jobs which I had to carry out for the course preparation. Firstly, I checked the items such as utensils and kitchen appliances that we had. Secondly, I checked what type of food items we needed and grouped them into three categories: 1. Fish & Meats, 2. Produce, and 3. Vegetables. Thirdly, I prepared the list for orders and also went out to different supermarkets and grocery stores to check what was available in their stock. In between all this preparation I also had to make calls to the different participants in order to notify them of the scheduled date as well as remind them which necessary items they needed to bring along for the course. The items participants needed to take with them were basic, a notepad, pen/ pencil, and their chef uniform because everything else would be provided by the Belize Tourism Board. Another very important part of the preparation process was making sure that the venue was up to standards and well-prepared for the training course. The venue was the Institute for Technical and Vocational Employment Training formerly known as Center for Employment Training. I visited the Institute for Technical and Vocational Employment Training (ITVET) along with Ms. Angelica Luna. There we met with the center’s maintenance personnel who kindly opened the doors for us to inspect the kitchen and classroom. As we looked around I took note of various appliances or furniture which we needed that were missing as well as of things that needed to be fixed in the room. Because we were working on a budget, we contacted other schools to borrow appliances from them rather than buying new ones. After locating all cooking utensils, appliances and furniture needed for the kitchen and classroom we moved them over to the ITVET. All food supplies needed to be purchased from supermarkets, markets and other shopping centers. In order to do this I needed to get involved with a little bit of accounting. I needed to write out purchase orders for the groceries then cash cheques, bill and pay the proper stores. Also for this preparation we needed to use the company vehicle thus I needed to write purchase orders and submit gasoline receipts from each time we filled up the tank. There was a lot of planning and preparation that went into this training course and everything needed to be very well organized so I made spreadsheets and kept notes and lists of all required actions and supplies. I was also required to make calls to clients reminding them of the course and payment deadline. Aside from all the major tasks I was also required to complete all others that seemed less significant. Some trivial tasks included typing labels, organizing training manuals, labeling the training manuals, grocery shop, type lists, pick up supplies, move supplies or equipment from one point to the other, and set up the venue. Finally I had completed the preparations for the Vibrant Dishes Training Course. However, the course needed much more work as I had prepare for the opening ceremony, monitor it’s actual progress and prepare for the closing.

The monitoring of the Vibrant Dishes Training Course may sound to some like an easy or perhaps dreary task. On the contrary, it is more difficult and not at all boring. The first day of the course opened up with a special ceremony in which key staff members of the Belize Tourism Board were present as well as representative for the Minister of Tourism. Everyday I returned to the ITVET in order to ensure that the course was progressing smoothly and to find out if the Head Chef had all necessary supplies. I also continued to transport supplies and appliances back and forth from the office to location. Also the Belize Tourism Board included free breakfasts each day for the participants, so, I needed to make certain that each day’s breakfast was ready for the students at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day, I returned to the venue to oversea cleaning, take stock, and secure the place properly to prevent any lost items.

During the monitoring of the Vibrant Dishes Training Course I also had to prepare a special ceremony for the closing. The work involved in preparing for the closing ceremony included both desk and field work. The date was already set and the location would be the same place where the course took place because the closing was also an opportunity for the participants to display their work to the public. It was somewhat of a mini graduation. Since date, time and place were already in order my next step was to create invitations for the student’s families, friends, and significant members of the public along with media representatives. After having prepared the invitation, I of course had to mail a few and hand-deliver others. Apart from preparing invitations and contacting media personnel, I contacted caterers who provide finger food. An even bigger responsibility and more important chore was to prepare each student’s certificate, verify that names on the certificate were correctly entered then package and send it out to New York for authentication. The day of the closing ceremony was a huge success. The students were proud to have had the opportunity to partake in such a course and proudly displayed their foods and shared experiences on their newly learnt skills. Working on this project gave me greater understanding of the whole product and more appreciation towards the people responsible for its success.

Aside from the organizing of the Vibrant Dishes Training Course I also had other responsibilities in the office. One of which included assisting other staff members of the Product Development Department in preparing for the previously planned National Tour Guide Training Exams. My contribution to the preparation of these exams were photocopying and packaging exams. After each exam was finished I also needed to collect and organize them for grading. When the exams had been finished grading I also had to verify that each was properly checked and graded. The last step taken was entering the grades into the organization’s database, TMIS. I was thought how to use this database by Ms. Angelica Luna. TMIS keeps records of grades from past and present students who took or are taking exams for the National Tour Guide Training. Here I even found my own record of grades from when I took the National Tour Guide Training Exams.

During my internship I had many opportunities to participate in public activities held by the Belize Tourism Board. One for example, is the annual Pibil Fest, which takes place in a village called Progresso in one of the northern districts. The Pibil Fest refers to a festival where a host of activities have been arranged centered around the making of Pibil. Pibil is a traditional way to cook pork. The pork is wrapped in banana leaf then buried in a pit with fire at the bottom to roast it. The Maya word "pibil" means "buried". Pibil Fest is a celebration that commemorates one of many traditions believed to have been passed down by the Maya as well as to showcase the culture of the little village of Progresso. Only a selected few of the staff members at the Belize Tourism Board were given the chance to attend this honorable event. I am very fortunate to have been one of those chosen to represent the organization.

Interns at the Belize Tourism Board are considered to be as valuable as any staff member thus we must attend all staff meetings just like any other staff member. While I was an intern at the Belize Tourism Board, I attended approximately 5 meetings, each of which were different in its own way. The first meeting which I attended was the monthly staff meeting. It was interesting to see the staff all together and watch the manner in which the director conducted a staff meeting. It was very formal. Both management and staff had turns to input and in the end the director summed up the meeting and reminded staff of the following meeting.

Another one of the trainings which I was responsible for organizing is the Front Office Training which took place on Aug 13 to 17. The Front Office Training was much easier to put together than the other Food and Beverage Trainings which I worked on. For this training my main responsibilities were to post ads in local newspapers and radio stations announcing the dates of the training and what it entailed. I also had to keep contacting clients once they made the first commitment to the class. Thirdly, I needed to reserve location for the course and since no cooking was involved and we wanted to give students a more formal setting we contacted one of the big hotels in the area. My next task for this job was to set up the actual venue everyday before the class started. Another thing I had to do for this was the “greet and meet” everyday before class. Lastly, I monitored the course’s flow and ensure that the teacher who also came in from New York was adequately supplied with all materials necessary for the class.

My internship stipulations from the organization included preparing the Bartending
Training. We started preparing for this training which was to take place on August 20- 24, however, it didn’t materialize during my time there, due to a hurricane threat.

On August 14, the board held an emergency meeting informing us of the emergency plans for the organization and for the country. The Belize Tourism Board is in charge of making sure that both locals and tourists are appropriately sheltered in the event of a hurricane. The staff was asked to standby. On August 20, the staff was called in to work in order to prepare for the hurricane which was expected to make landfall on the 21st. We secured all files, office supplies and equipment on the upper flat of the building. Before we left the office the director gave us all emergency contact numbers and an emergency website address. On Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 2:30am Hurricane Dean hit near the Belize-Mexico border. Although, Belize was not directly hit by Hurricane Dean, the country suffered much damage and loss to agricultural crops, infrastructure etc. in the northern most part of the country. On Wednesday, we reported to work as per usual and tried to organize the office and get it back in order as quick as possible so that we could be up and running to serve the public because many were affected by Dean and being the Tourism Organization we had plenty of work to do. By Thursday and Friday the office was back to normal but much was left to be done. After the hurricane the Director of Tourism held another staff meeting and we were informed of the ongoing projects being carried out by the Belize Tourism Board to help restore the country to its normal state. We were also asked to put together a team who would physically go into the affected areas and help with the rebuilding and organizing of those communities. A team of the permanent staff was assembled and everyone else went back to their normal office work. I began working on the projects I was assigned to prior to the hurricane.

The major projects which I was given to work on were completed; therefore, the Product Development Director gave me three new projects. Two of which I had to work completely on my own while I worked on another project with the Product Development Officer in charge of Community Projects, Miss Romy Haylock. The first project I was assigned was to work on the new Tour Guide Training Manual. It was already prepared but I needed to read through the whole book and verify that all facts, dates and places were correct as well as check for grammatical errors. I had one week before completion of my internship to finish editing the guide book and submit it to my supervisor. The other individual project was to research and compile data from the office for a statistical report which was released to the press.

My second project was a bit more detailed; It was a Sustainable Tourism Community development project with Miss Romy Haylock, the Product Development Officer in charge of Community Projects. We researched a variety of materials and found some interesting pieces of information. However, we had not fully decided what subject area our sustainable tourism project would contain but we were hoping that it would be more towards an Agricultural- Community Tourism Project. Therefore, we contacted and visited numerous local artists and craft-makers to get an insight on their arts and crafts, the techniques they use and the material they require. We also studied techniques and inquired about the different natural products in Belize that one could use to make crafts. Some of these materials included banana leaf, potato skin, rice and even coconut shells. This project could not be completed during my internship as it needed a minimum of six (6) months of research. Furthermore, our work kept being interrupted by the unstable weather in Belize which was due to the hurricane season that runs from June to the end of November.

During my internship I experienced about 2 hurricane threats and one severe flooding. For the second hurricane threat we, the staff of the Belize Tourism Board, had been more prepared because of the previous one and were able to move quicker and smarter than for the first threat. Although we were more prepared it still seemed a bit hectic and nerve racking to have to go through the same thing again. As always with any natural disaster we were set back in our work. The second type of disaster occurred but we were not very well prepared as it was a very rare one. On August 29, there was a terrible flooding in the entire city of Belize. The flood literally covered the whole of Belize City. This had been the first time that I have ever experienced or even seen this type of flooding happen. According to news reports it had not happened before. Many families’ houses were flooded and motor vehicles were flooded and shut down in the middle of the street. It all looked very horrifying like something from a horror movie. The flood was due to a tropical storm which brought plenty of rain and as result extremely high time which flooded the city.

Although, my internship seemed to be jam packed with projects, assignments and the escaping of natural disasters, it was very fun. My time there was also filled with happy moments, one main one being that my birthday fell on a work week. On that day, the staff surprised me with a birthday cake which made me feel honoured. Their kind gesture shows that they care about their employees and are not only concerned that they work hard but also have a fun and healthy employment there. Also we celebrated the 209th anniversary of the battle of St. George’s Caye. An official public and bank holiday had been originally set out for this day some of us enjoyed it the fullest while others worked in the parade and at festival stalls. The Belize Tourism Board was the official sponsor of the September celebrations thus we also had other work we were responsible for carrying out. The September celebrations refers to a number of historical events that took place in September and are remembered with festivals, carnivals, official parades, and other parties during that month.

At the end of my internship I liaised with Mr. Anthony Mahler about the National Tour Guide Training Manual. He concluded that my findings were quite appropriate and the text book was submitted to the proper editors for changes. After discussing the National Tour Guide Training Manual I met with my supervisor again for an evaluation on my performance during the internship. He summarized my behaviour and commented on how impressed he was as well as gave me an opportunity to speak about my time there. I also met with the Director of Tourism, Mrs. Tracy Panton, the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Godfrey Smith, and the Human Resource Manager, Mr. Evan Tillett to express my appreciation on having the opportunity to work at the Belize Tourism Board and to say my last goodbye. I sadly said goodbye to everyone and was surprised with a small farewell party and presents. I really enjoyed my time and felt very comfortable working there as well as learnt quite a lot. I am quite thankful for the chance to have met such wonderful and dedicated staff members.
KEY LEARNINGS

Apart from my major roles and responsibilities, the Product Development Officer, taught me how to use TMIS a database for the keeping and recording of grades and personal information of all National Tour Guide students. Also she taught me about their corporate culture, organizational structure, application handling and grievances chopping with respect to aggressive clients.

It was my first experience with organizing public community events so I was nervous and became tense hoping that nothing would go wrong. Ms. Angelica Luna assisted me everywhere possible and encouraged me whenever needed. She watched me work as well as helped me out. Although, it was my project to work on she never abandoned me. From this I learnt the importance of working together as a team.

Other staff members were just as helpful and because of them I even learned about other things related to the day to day running of the office. I got first hand experience learning the database used to enter visitor entry and departure information which came in handy when one staff member had to leave the office for the day. Also I learnt about application processing, filing, faxing and job-related calls.

RECCOMENDATIONS

FOR VISIBILITY
The organization was located in a central area however in one of the lesser ventured streets and because the company had recently moved to this area people could not find it. There were no signs on the building and even though it was a new building people could not recognize it as the Belize Tourism Board’s office location. Therefore, I suggest placing a visible sign on the building as well as on the streets that lead to it pointing out the location of the office.

FOR ENHANCING SALES
Here I am referring to sales of the Training Courses available to the public. The first and most important thing needed is the human power meaning that executives should be specially chosen to conduct the sales activities of those particular courses rather than leaving it to one person to sell, promote and organize the course at the same time.

FOR CUSTOMERS’ SATISFACTION
The general satisfaction of customers is pretty high; however, I would like to suggest one minor change. The new office is huge and comfortably accommodates all staff members but the waiting area is minuscule compared to the rest of the office. There are conference rooms but to get to those one has to walk through the entire office and head up to the second floor. Instead of this inconvenience the lobby should be extended especially for those customers who are only looking for a short 2 minute informal meeting.

CONCLUSION

Working at the Belize Tourism Board gave me a good insight and exposure to the corporate world. Working alone and with others to meet targeted deadlines and performing in such a professional manner gave me deeper understanding and appreciation of the tourism system in our country. It has opened my eyes to the physical needs as well as the changes which must be done to improve our standards globally. Interning at the Belize Tourism Board has motivated me to continue working diligently as well as to further my studies in order to contribute greatly to the development of my country.
REFERENCE

http://www.belizetourism.org/

www.belizelaw.org

www.travelbelize.org