July 2, 2010
Dear Valued Member:
 
Over the years, your BTIA has pride itself on being able to successfully operate and produce two stalwart marketing initiatives - the Destination Belize travel magazine and the Belize Travel Expo (BETEX). This year has experienced a significant challenge with the Destination Belize. As many of you are aware, the magazine has been in publication for seventeen (17) years. The magazine has risen to national prominence due to your strong support each year and the Belize Tourism Board's recognition of the book as a marketing piece worthy for use as an international fulfillment piece for the country.
 
This international circulation has expanded the value of the advertisements purchased by each of you on an annual basis via a multiplier effect of the pairs of eyes that view it and get to know our destination. We are most proud of this achievement. The magazine has as well been a central revenue generating mechanism for BTIA, allowing us to improve our representation of your interests via our advocacy and other initiatives. We are truly proud to have been able to serve you in this fashion.
 
This year, the relationship with the longstanding publisher Ulrich Communications has experienced several inconsistencies. While your BTIA has fulfilled all its obligations to the publisher, included among them providing feedback on the publication, fact checking information, providing office space to house an Ulrich Communications representative and operating space in the BTIA office, Ulrich Communications has not maintained a professional relationship with the BTIA. The communications between the publisher and your BTIA has been interrupted due to telephone disconnections, unanswered emails, refusals to provide progress updates on the publication and failure to meet financial obligations to your BTIA. These challenges have resulted in a failure to deliver the book and other deliverables in the contracted prescribed period. As your representative, we have taken every action to ensure that the publishing firm meets its obligations to you. We have also been working with BTB who also invested in the publication, to ensure Ulrich Communications delivers the book. Unfortunately, as we pass the mid-year mark of 2010 our efforts have not been successful as Ulrich Communications to date is unable to deliver the printed copies of the book.
 
Among the many actions taken is the May 31, 2010 delivery of a legal demand letter from your BTIA legal representative and a face-to-face sit down meeting in Belize with Ulrich Communications, BTB and BTIA Board Representative. To this date, Ulrich Communications have not availed itself to any of the delivery deadline dates issued to the company. BTIA is now considering its legal options.

We write to officially disclose to you our members the status of this situation and actions formally taken on your behalf. BTIA itself has suffered a loss and like you are very disappointed with Ulrich Communications which has been doing business with Belize's tourism industry for the past 17 years. The BTIA is currently in the process of finalizing its selection for a new publisher for a new travel magazine, multimedia package for the 2011 to 2013 period and we have received proposals from both local and international companies. Ulrich Communications will not be the publisher. We can assure you that for the next installment of this travel promotional piece, new measures will be in place to ensure the situation experienced with this year's production does not reoccur.
 
We seek your continued strong support as we seek a solution to the situation.

Sincerely, 

Dionne Miranda
President