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PORTFOLIO BY SECTOR
Belize Lodge and Excursions (BLE) operates three travel lodges, each located in a different habitat of southern Belize. The company offers a variety of excursions for visitors, including river trips, nature hikes, backcountry expeditions, tours of Maya ruins and trips to Belize’s barrier reef, part of the Port Honduras Marine Zone. With its multi-faceted approach, BLE highlights the differences between ecotourism and other types of nature tourism by emphasizing conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation. Southern Belize, with its clear Caribbean waters and tropical forests, is internationally recognized for its biological riches. With relatively little coastal development in comparison to neighboring countries, the region offers refuge to a diversity of birds, mammals and fish. To protect these resources, BLE has begun working with conservation partners to maintain the long-term ecological integrity of the region. The company recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE), a Nature Conservancy partner. The agreement is the first of its kind in Belize’s Southern Toledo District, laying the groundwork for a productive working relationship between the private sector and a local conservation organization. As part of this effort, TIDE is advising BLE on the company’s sustainable management plan, and revenue from the partnership will support TIDE’s conservation activities. BLE has also partnered with a British-based conservation group, Flora and Fauna International, and helped establish a local nonprofit organization, the Ya'axche Conservation Trust, to manage its properties. Through these partnerships, BLE provides a model of low-impact tourism that contributes to local economies and local conservation efforts. EcoEnterprises Fund co-financed this investment with the project principal, EcoLogic Finance, Conservation International, and Dutch private investors. Investing in companies. Investing in communities. Investing in conservation.
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