Belmopan, Belize Wednesday-Liberia’s Vice President, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor, is in Belize City to seek economic cooperation with the Belizean Government, exploring opportunities to enhance Liberia’s Tourism Industry.
When approached by scores of journalists upon her arrival in Belize, Madam Howard-Taylor indicated that Liberia has excellent potential to achieve rapid economic growth and development when there are sustained investments in the Tourism Industry, a dispatch from Belize said.
According to a dispatch, the Liberian first female Vice President proffered that Tourism Industry is regarded as the most extensive and fastest-growing sector globally and a key driver for socio-economic development.
She informed that Liberia is located on the West Coast of the African continent, topographically known for its untapped ecosystem heavens and biodiversity hotspots.
“It possesses the most significant remaining rainforest on the African continent with approximately 42% of the Upper Guinea Rainforest with about 350km coastline, and perhaps the friendliest weather throughout the year,” The Liberian Vice President noted.
Vice President Howard-Taylor lamented that despite Liberia’s potential to attract tourists, the Nation’s Tourism Industry remains practically dysfunctional and has no significant contribution to its GDP.
She then applauded Belize for its investment in Tourism which generates about USD 604.4 million annually, accounting for about 44.7% of GDP, and has created more than 21,000 jobs for Belizeans.
While in Belize, the Vice President will serve as Keynote Speaker at the first-ever “She4She Champions World Summit” scheduled for March 4th to 6th, 2022.
The summit brings together women and girls from across the globe to commemorate International Women’s Month and dialogue on women’s and girls’ empowerment, gender equality, female leadership, economic empowerment, political participation, science, and technology.
Belize is a Central Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It has a population of about 419,000, the lowest population density in Central America. It borders Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south.