A Young and Energetic Media in Belize

Just before the holidays I went on a Belize media trip organized by the Belize Tourism Board which brought together local media personnel from around the county. The purpose of the trip was for the local media to promote ‘Staycations’ – have Belizeans vacation in Belize.

It was a wonderful experience, our second one this year courtesy of the BTB. Belize is a relatively small country but you can still do so much. From north to south, east to west traveling around Belize you realize how BIG the country is, still. It only takes you a few hours from being diving in the Caribbean Sea in the east to ascending the great Maya pyramids in amongst the Maya Mountains in the west.

(I will have more on all my adventures at the different places I visited. They shall be featured on the iTravel Belize section of Ambergris Today. Keep a look out on those.)

And I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised and impressed that the group of media personnel that participated on the trip consisted of young and very professional individuals. I started Ambergris Today 15 years ago at the age of 21 and stepping into the career of journalism that was, at the time, dominated by ‘older’ folks (you can say) was quite a challenge.

Enjoying an evening at Caye Caulker

Interacting with the butterflies at Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

People did not take you seriously at times, you were simply too young in their eyes. But today, it is an entirely new different ballgame. With the rapid rise in technology, mobile communications and social media an entirely new different type of journalist is emerging. Thus my admiration to see young Belizeans stepping up to the plate and taking up leading roles in the media, from reporters, cameramen, radio personalities and news anchors.

Being from the island I have very little and brief contact with the media from the mainland, so these trips give me opportunity to get to know them better and create better connections and friendships with all of them. We all need each other at times to obtain information, share images and obtain essential contacts, so I believe that the Belize Tourism Board does a great job in bringing us all together to get to know each other and promote our country even more.

I had the great pleasure of making more great friendships with people in my field and knowing that I can relate to a group of young, energetic and professional people who are in the same career is a breath of fresh air. We all have the same goal, to deliver the news, share those amazing timely images, human interest stories and deliver Belize to the rest of the world.