Today, the Belize Tourism Board celebrated several women in the tourism industry as part of Women’s Month. These inspiring women shared their stories during a panel discussion at the Biltmore Plaza. They spoke about their humble beginnings, and one woman highlighted how being a woman in the industry often means working harder to achieve the same results as male-led businesses. News Five’s Marion Ali has more on their remarkable journeys.
This morning, the Belize Tourism Board honored the hard work and perseverance of women in the tourism industry. They hosted a panel discussion featuring women who are founders or managers of tourism businesses. Among them was Meggs Yearwood, who started her family business two decades ago. She shared that the journey has been filled with its fair share of trial and error.
Meggs Yearwood, Manager, Barefoot Business, Placencia
“I did not have a plan. I didn’t write a business plan. The opportunities just presented themselves. I’m always a person looking for opportunities to better my life. And the family that I come from, um, I have no lawyers in my family. No senior accountants, so. For me, it was organic. I worked at one hotel in Placencia and at that point I realized, there’s a way to literally make a living here and meeting a superior that encouraged me to learn and apply myself, I think that also helped. So throughout my career, I’ve always had women in my corner. My first website, I built in my apartment with a woman, so I didn’t really have a plan.”
Lucy Fleming’s world-renowned Chaa Creek Lodge started from very humble beginnings several decades ago when she and her husband Mick settled in the beautiful Cayo District. Their journey from modest roots to global recognition is truly inspiring.
Lucy Fleming, Co-owner, Chaa Creek Lodge
“Our small cabin was our home and our workshop. And after bathing in the river, we pulled out our sleeping mats and listened to the BBC World Service on the radio at night. It was an existence of calloused hands, aching muscles, and an unrelenting determination to survive. Within six months, we were selling vegetables and eggs in the early morning market, using our meager earnings to buy provisions and heading back by horseback or canoe as night fell. Before we knew it, young European travelers were appearing at our dusty doorstep. These young souls provided the impetus for the first Chaa Creek Cottage, built by our own hands in 1981, offering an introductory price of eight Belize dollars per person per night.”
Fleming’s journey was made much easier thanks to the unwavering support of her husband, Mick. Nicole Solano, CEO in the Ministry of Tourism, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that having supportive men can make a significant difference in the workplace.
Nicole Solano, C.E.O, Ministry of Tourism
“The support is not only from other women, but it’s from other men, right? We have to work together, all of us. I’ve been very fortunate, I – my boss is a man. Now I have two ministers, I have a minister and a minister of state, and I have to say that just from the interaction with both of them this week, I see the importance of all the years that I’ve worked with Honorable Anthony Mahler, the amount of space that is created for women to be able to lead. And that is necessary for those men who have the responsibility to open the table up for discussion at all levels.”
Timotea Mesh manages the San Antonio Women’s Cooperative. She shared how being in a remote location brings its own unique advantages and challenges for tourism.
Timotea Mesh, Manager, San Antonio Women’s Cooperative
“We are away from where the tourism centers are. And then we are in a remote area, so those are one of the challenges as when we are seeing it for business but then San Antonio is located right on the way going to Caracol Road. We saw that was one of our strengths when we looked at challenges. We still have strength as well. People pass by.”
Mesh pointed out that being married to farmers presents another challenge for rural women, as they often spend most of their time managing household duties. However, she emphasized that making the most of their time helps keep their work visible. Meggs Yearwood echoed this sentiment, believing in the often-used expression that women need to work harder to gain recognition.
“I definitely feel like it has been more challenging being a woman. I’m a mom of two girls, but I’m happy that I have two girls because I have some gas behind me with the experiences that I’ve had to prepare them to thrive in a place like Belize. To be taken seriously, I have to be firm. But they interpret it as aggressive or negative. But if a man was doing business as usual, he’s just seen as a man. But when a woman does, they expect us to be dainty and soft and sometimes in business that doesn’t necessarily work.”
The BTB hopes that the women’s panel discussion will inspire more women to start their own journey in the business world.
Felicia Pelayo, Communications Specialist, B.T.B.
“A lot of them have overcome challenges in their journey, and we want them to know that they’re not alone, that we celebrate them, not just today, not just during Women’s Month, but every day. And we want to push their stories, we want to push their businesses, whatever platforms they have to the forefront.”
The BTB has also launched a social media campaign to highlight the women and their businesses. Marion Ali for News Five.
