Benque mayor outlines vision to transform town into culture-based tourism hub

Mayor Jorge Rosales says he envisions a future where Benque Viejo del Carmen becomes a unique tourism destination built around its culture, natural surroundings, and simple way of life.  Speaking with Love News, Mayor Rosales explained that his vision is to highlight what makes Benque Viejo distinct, its close-knit community, riverside setting, and rich cultural traditions. The town has an estimated population of 8,500 people, and the mayor believes its small-town character can be a major attraction for visitors seeking a more relaxed and authentic experience.  One of the ideas being explored, according to Rosales, is the placement of a catamaran on the river, where visitors and residents alike could relax, enjoy the scenery, and observe wildlife along the riverbanks. He said such an initiative could open the door to eco-tourism opportunities while creating new economic activity for the municipality.

Mayor Jorge Rosales, Benque Viejo Del Carmen: “We have talked to Honorable Mahler to try to implement the tourism industry in Benque or try to help us how to get tourism into Benque and we have talked to Honorable Fonseca in what the culture, the parks and playgrounds need to be revived. More of them need to be revived. So we need to reach to that point that we need to make Benque brighter in what is hotels, tourism. I am planning to put a zip lining and like a catamaran on the river on this part of behind the town council. There’s a area of one about maybe a 16th of a mile that it’s very nice and there’s iguanas, there’s baboons on the side of the river now, that people don’t molest them and they’re there. So bringing tourism into Benque would be a greater achievement for Benque Viejo. That would change very drastically because the culture in Benque is very heavy because we have Marimba, we have a bunch of things that we do here in Benque like Easter, the Marimba, the Fiesta in July and the Benque Day in October and then Christmas time is very good in Benque too. So trying to pull in the residents of Benque into more businesses and I think people are now looking at how we are working and how we are working together and people are joining in, even San Ignacio and Belmopan are coming to Benque. And when that happens, even the football, when that happens, Benque looks bright, it is like booming.”

Mayor Rosales noted that while the ideas are still at a conceptual stage, the long-term goal is to carefully develop tourism in a way that preserves the town’s identity while providing new opportunities for residents and small businesses