Prior to joining the Saudi Tourism Ministry as a senior advisor , Gloria led the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) as President and CEO, having joined in 2017. WTTC represents the global travel & tourism private sector worldwide, a sector that generates 10% of GDP and accounts for 300 million jobs globally. Gloria was the global voice for the sector and, under her leadership, WTTC led the industry’s agenda during the most difficult crisis in history, the Covid19 pandemic. WTTC successfully unified the sector and implemented measures to reduce the impact such as the creation of the “Safe Travels” global protocols and a stamp that were granted to more than 400 destinations around the world. WTTC also pursued active engagement with over 150 governments to share best practices and public policies to support workers and the private sector, including millions of SMEs, in addition to providing guidelines from lessons learned to help the strong recovery.
Where the rainforest meets the reef: 5 incredible places to visit in Belize
09.08.2023 - 06:33 / nationalgeographic.com
Located on Central America’s northeastern coast, Belize has a distinctly Caribbean feel which sets it apart from its neighbours, Guatemala and Mexico. A visit here reveals an astonishing diversity of attractions and experiences, including hiking through jungles to enigmatic Maya sites and visiting national parks teeming with wildlife. Here are five incredible places not to miss.
Home to over 500 species of fish and the longest unbroken barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, Belize is a world-class diving destination. It’s also the location of one of the most singular dive sites on Earth — the Great Blue Hole. Stretching 1,000ft wide and over 400ft deep, this giant sinkhole is filled with extraordinary marine life and looks like the opening to some oceanic netherworld. Diving here isn’t for the fainthearted, but nearby Ambergris Caye has several accredited schools teaching scuba diving and free-diving to all levels.
Diver or not, if you're planning a trip to Belize, Ambergris Caye should be high on your agenda. The largest and perhaps most beautiful of the country’s 200-plus islands, this is the centre for tourism in Belize, with some of Central America’s finest accommodation — from thatched-roof-style properties to private islets. There’s a big focus on water-based activities here, from diving and snorkelling to sailing and jet-skiing. The Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve is arguably the star of the show, with superb coral reefs and the chance to swim through a channel dug by the Maya civilisation around 1,500 years ago.
Central America is peppered with remnants of the mighty Maya empire. Yet, while sites like Chichén Itzá, in Mexico, get overwhelmed with tourists, Xunantunich, in the western reaches of Belize, remains comparatively undiscovered. Consisting of palaces, plazas and pyramids, the site is what’s left of a once-thriving ceremonial centre. It was abandoned around 1000 CE and eventually fell into disrepair, before excavations in the 1960s revealed its intricacies. Today, visitors can explore a city that may have been home to 10,000 people.
Hugging the border with Guatemala, the Cayo District is home to some of the densest jungle in Belize, making it a haven for wildlife and adventure. Here, visitors can choose from a number of hiking trails, discover temples, explore sprawling cave systems and drift down rivers in a kayak. The semi-aquatic Barton Creek Cave, located near San Ignacio, is a spot worth exploring by canoe. This allows visitors to enter a haunting cave network where the Maya once interred their dead. Those who prefer to stay out of the underworld should hike to the ancient Maya site of Caracol, deep in the jungle, stopping at Rio Frio Cave, Rio on Pools and Big
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The secret is out about Belize, although seasoned globetrotters added the country’s vast mountain range and deep-sea wonders to their bucket lists years ago. And as easy as it is to fly to the Central American country – most major U.S. cities are two to three hours away – it’s just as quick to obtain a visa to enter. In fact, you may not even need one.
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