Belize Tourism Industry Association

What Belize Tourism Industry Association does

The Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) is a non-profit, membership-based tourism umbrella organization founded on April 26, 1985 in Belize City, Belize, and registered under the Revised 2000 NGO Act, Chapter 315 of the Laws of Belize since 2006. It serves as the largest private-sector tourism organization in Belize, aggregating 200+ member businesses across hotels, tour operators, restaurants, tour guides, car rentals, spas, gift shops, banks, and other tourism stakeholders operating in all six of the country's tourism districts. BTIA is governed by a Board including the President, two Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, and chapter representatives, and is operationally led by an Executive Director supported by a small secretariat of approximately 12 staff; Efren Perez assumed the presidency in January 2025, succeeding Stewart Krohn.

BTIA's core offering is its advocacy, distribution, and networking platform rather than a technology product. Service lines include a member directory and destination guides (Where to Stay, Eat, Explore, Other Services), a member-to-member discount program, six physical Tourism Information Centers across key destinations, signature festivals (Lobster Fest, Belize Birding Festival, Mango Festival, Coconut Fest, Chocolate Festival of Belize), professional training in hospitality, culinary, customer service, and marine conservation, and policy advocacy with representation on virtually every tourism-related government, legislative, advisory, consultative, and licensing committee in Belize. The supporting technology stack is a WordPress-based website; no proprietary software, app, or AI capability is disclosed.

BTIA's revenue mechanics combine annual membership dues tiered by business size (BZD 100 Individual, BZD 200 Small, BZD 500 Medium, BZD 1,500 Large), tiered corporate sponsorships (Gold BZD 5,000, Platinum BZD 10,000, Diamond BZD 25,000+), and festival and event-related activity. Distribution is executed through 10 active destination chapters across Corozal, Orange Walk, Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Belmopan, Cayo, Dangriga, Hopkins, Placencia, and Toledo, plus FEDECATUR regional reach across Central America following BTIA's assumption of the Pro Tempore Presidency for 2025-2026.

Name

Belize Tourism Industry Association

Legal name

Belize Tourism Industry Association

Website

https://btia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Belize Tourism Industry Association is a 200+ member, 10-chapter non-profit umbrella organization founded in 1985 that provides advocacy, training, marketing, and distribution services to Belize's private-sector tourism businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Belize City

HQ country

Belize

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: BTIA generates revenue through annual membership fees categorized by business size: Individual membership at BZD $100/year, Small Business (0-10 employees) at BZD $200/year, Medium Business (11-50 employees) at BZD $500/year, and Large Business (51+ employees) at BZD $1,500/year.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: BTIA offers corporate sponsorship tiers: Diamond Sponsor (BZD 25,000+), Platinum Sponsor (BZD 10,000), Gold Sponsor (BZD 5,000). Sponsors gain access to 10 active BTIA Destination Chapters and five Tourism Information Centers for marketing and promotion.
3. Festival and Event Revenue: BTIA organizes signature festivals including Lobster Fest, Belize Birding Festival, Mango Festival, Coconut Fest, and Chocolate Festival of Belize, which drive tourism to specific destinations and generate economic activity for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BTIA is Belize's largest private sector tourism umbrella organization, operating a membership-based association that unites hotels, tour operators, restaurants, tour guides, and related businesses across 10 destination chapters. It delivers advocacy and policy representation, destination marketing, a member directory and member-to-member discount program, signature festivals, professional training, and operates six Tourism Information Centers to support tourism stakeholders and visitors throughout Belize.

Product overview

Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) operates as a membership-based tourism umbrella organization rather than a technology product company. The association provides a suite of services including a membership directory connecting tourists with member businesses (hotels, restaurants, tour operators), a member-to-member discount program, tourism information centers across 6 locations, signature festivals and events, industry advocacy and lobbying, and professional training programs. BTIA's core offering is its membership network spanning 200+ members across 10 destination chapters, providing advocacy, marketing, and networking services for Belize's private-sector tourism industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Tourism has become one of Belize's largest industries and constitutes approximately 40% of the nation's GDP as a direct consequence of BTIA's initiatives and advocacy efforts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FEDECATUR (Federation of Chambers of Tourism of Central America)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BTIA, under President Efren Perez, assumed the Pro Tempore Presidency of FEDECATUR for the 2025-2026 term, providing leadership in regional tourism policy, planning, and marketing across Central America.
• Belize Tourism Board (BTB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985BTB is a statutory body within the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations functioning as a strategic partner between government and the private sector. BTIA has official representation on BTB and collaborates on marketing programs, tourism policies, and industry development initiatives. BTB serves as a Diamond sponsor of BTIA.
• Belize Hotel Association (BHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHA is a non-profit NGO whose membership is mostly comprised of hotel accommodations. BHA has a vote within the BTIA board and the two organizations have jointly pursued grants including $250,000 in Sargassum Relief funding.
• Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACT is a conservation trust in which BTIA has an official seat on committees to represent member interests. BTIA actively participates in PACT initiatives for environmental protection supporting sustainable tourism.
• Development Finance Corporation (DFC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFC is a financial institution on which BTIA has official representation. The partnership supports access to development financing for tourism-related projects and businesses.
• Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural HeritagemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA serves as a leading member of this coalition dedicated to preserving and protecting the integrity of the Belize Barrier Reef System through various campaigns and advocacy efforts.
• Oceana BelizemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA partnered with Oceana Belize to create the 'Eat Right Fish Right' program promoting sustainable fishing practices monitoring and fish quality in tourism hospitality sector.
• Belize Audubon SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA has historical partnership with Belize Audubon Society, notably signing the 'Lamanai Room Declaration' on environmental protection and sustainable tourism development.
• Belize Network of NGOsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA participated in the development and establishment of Belize Network of NGOs representing NGO interests in national development. BTIA President was elected as 13th Senator for the network in the National Assembly.
• University of BelizeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA partnered with University of Belize to host the 'Reimagining Belizean Tourism' summit in 2022, bringing together stakeholders to discuss the future of Belize's tourism industry.
• Belize Tourism Board - Sargassum Task ForcemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA has official representation on the Sargassum Task Force to address sargassum influx affecting coastal tourism communities and advocate for mitigation solutions.
• Airline Development CommitteemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA has official seat on the Airline Development Committee to advocate for increased airlift and improved aviation connectivity benefiting Belize's tourism industry.
• APAMO (Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA partners with APAMO for conservation and protected areas management initiatives relevant to tourism sustainability.
• WWF (World Wildlife Fund)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA collaborates with WWF on environmental conservation initiatives supporting sustainable tourism development in Belize.
• Placencia Tour Guide Association (PTGA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA partnered with PTGA to deliver marine conservation training workshops for tour guides in southern Stann Creek as part of BTIA's pilot project 'Developing the Next Generation of Marine Conservationists'.
• Friends of Swallow CayeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA's Caye Caulker Chapter collaborated with this conservation NGO to launch Caye Caulker's first Tourist Information Center.
• Guatemalan Tourism ChamberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTIA partnered with Guatemalan Tourism Chamber for a bi-national tourism private sector exchange in Peten, Guatemala, promoting regional tourism collaboration.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA): CHTA is the pan-Caribbean private-sector trade association for hotels and tourism stakeholders. It shares BTIA's model — destination chapters/associations, membership-based advocacy, and member services — but operates at a multi-country Caribbean scale, making it the closest direct functional peer to BTIA.
• Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA): JHTA is Jamaica's national private-sector tourism trade association with a mandate to advocate for and promote the island's tourism industry. BTIA and JHTA operate with nearly identical business models — membership tiers, destination advocacy, and representation on government tourism policy bodies — making JHTA a direct Caribbean peer.
• Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA): SLHTA is Saint Lucia's national tourism trade association with member-based advocacy, training, and destination marketing in a small tourism-dependent Caribbean island economy. Its structure and mandate closely parallel BTIA's 10-chapter, 200+-member, advocacy-driven model.
• Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA): BHTA is Barbados' national tourism trade association serving hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and attractions through advocacy and member services in a tourism-led economy. It mirrors BTIA's mandate, scale, and Caribbean tourism-trade-association structure.
• Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA): BHTA is The Bahamas' national tourism trade association representing hotels, tour operators, and related businesses through advocacy, training, and destination promotion. Its national-scope membership model in a tourism-dependent Caribbean economy is directly comparable to BTIA's role in Belize.
• Antigua and Barbuda Hotel and Tourism Association (ABHTA): ABHTA is Antigua & Barbuda's private-sector tourism trade association engaged in destination marketing, member training, and government advocacy. As another small-Caribbean, tourism-led national association, it offers a very direct structural comparison to BTIA.
• Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association (GHTA): GHTA represents Grenada's tourism stakeholders through advocacy and member services in another small Caribbean economy heavily dependent on tourism. The membership, government-liaison, and destination-promotion functions mirror BTIA's day-to-day activities.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA): ASTA is a large established US-based trade association for travel advisors and suppliers, offering advocacy, training, and member benefits across travel categories. It is a broader-incumbent peer sharing BTIA's trade-association DNA but operating at multi-segment, US scale rather than a single-destination Caribbean focus.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA): PATA is an established regional tourism trade association promoting responsible travel across Asia Pacific through advocacy, research, and member services. While geographically distant, PATA offers a relevant broader-incumbent comparison to BTIA's membership-based destination-promotion and policy-influence model.

Others

• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): WTTC is the global private-sector tourism body's forum for industry leadership, research, and policy advocacy. While not a national trade association, WTTC's public-private tourism advocacy and policy-influence work intersects thematically with BTIA's mission and is a relevant ecosystem-level counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theBTIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/btiabelize
• Instagraminstagram.com/btiabelize
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belize-tourism-industry-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Belize Tourism Industry Association