BTB Honors Victoria Forman As Its Frontline Hero

Belize City, Belize, December 22, 2022:  The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is pleased to announce its Frontline Hero Award recipient for the month of December,  Victoria Ann Forman.  

Growing up as a fisherman’s daughter, Victoria spent many hours fishing, swimming, and playing in the pristine Caribbean Sea of Belize on her family’s island, Forman’s Caye. Not surprisingly, she developed a keen interest in the tourism industry throughout the years and became a tour guide in December 2003.  Being a freelance tour guide for over 18 years has allowed her to explore many different places throughout Belize; she has embarked on a few small ship adventures as a naturalist and has provided locally guided inland and marine tours. She currently works as a dive master and snorkel guide taking guests to explore the underwater wonders of Belize.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Belize, everything came to a halt. Tour guides were among the first to be affected when the majority of them lost their jobs. But Victoria was not the type that would sit around. She constantly made numerous phone calls to fellow tour guides to give them courage during such a difficult period.  Subsequently, she began growing a garden, made homemade bread and bun for sale, and eventually became a fisherwoman catching and selling her own fish, a job she still does.  In addition, she helps her father build and pull lobster traps and helps out around the island – not a typical job for a woman but that is the strong trait of determination in Victoria that allows her to survive and support her family. 

During the pandemic, Victoria remained an active member of the Belize Tour Guide Association and was able to train fellow members via video on First Aid and prepare them for their tour guide renewal.

“Being nominated for the Frontline Hero Award came as a surprise to me because I never saw myself as a Hero for the work I do. I thank BTB for such recognition. Being recognized for my hard work in the Frontline service means a lot to me and I feel very grateful. I am thankful to my fellow Tour Guide Association members for recognizing that in me. I am delighted to see that the tourism industry is growing again,” Victoria shared. 

The BTB congratulates Victoria for receiving the Frontline Hero Award and thanks her for being an exemplary and outstanding woman and for serving Belize with great pride, distinction, hard work, and dedication. As part of her recognition, Victoria received a $1,500 cash award, courtesy of the BTB, and a two-night stay at Hopkins Bay Resort with meals courtesy of Muy ‘Ono Resorts.

The BTB’s Frontline Hero Award program was established in 2021 to recognize outstanding Belizeans who have served Belize beyond their call of duty. This program is operated in collaboration with tourism stakeholders who have been generous in contributing prizes to the honorees.  Stakeholders wishing to contribute a prize towards the Frontline Hero Awards Program can contact BTB’s Public Relations Unit via email at [email protected] or Tel: 227-2420.