Hon. Anthony Mahler was officially sworn in as Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations on Monday, November 16, 2020. He was appointed by the newly elected Prime Minister after the country’s general elections, which were held on Wednesday, November 11, 2020.
The BTB notes that Minister Mahler is no stranger to tourism, and is fully committed to the work ahead. In his first meeting with the staff of the Ministry of Tourism and the Belize Tourism Board, he gave words of encouragement and reiterated his commitment to working in partnership with all stakeholders to restore the industry. “We are committed to recovering the tourism industry after COVID-19’s devastating blow to the economy. Our priority is to support tourism businesses and jobs, and restore traveler confidence. We must stimulate demand for travel to Belize in spite of COVID-19,” commented Minister Mahler, “and we must remain optimistic.”
Other areas of focus under Minister Mahler’s administration include the development of the tourism product, training, and the ongoing innovation and transformation toward more sustainable and resilient models of tourism development. Minister Mahler is also committed to developing a meaningful structure to engage the Belizean diaspora. The Border Management Agency also falls within his portfolio.
He was a previous Director of Product Development at the Belize Tourism Board, then later moved on to Speednet Communications Limited as the Director of Marketing, before being elected to the House of Representatives. Minister Mahler holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Master’s Program Graduate Certificate in Financial Analysis, a Certificate in Strategic Management from Tuck Institute at Dartmouth, and has served in managerial capacities in both the public and private sectors.