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The Reef Recording Studio was launched today in Belize City. According to the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), the studio will serve as a central outlet for musicians and entertainers to develop themselves and their craft by recording high-quality intellectual property. These actions will serve to directly enhance the cultural component of Belize's tourism portfolio.

This studio was established through the Sustainable Tourism Project (STP II) with funding by the Inter-American Development and the BTB, which will also manage the operations of the facility.

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The Reef Recording Studio in Belize City was inaugurated on February 11, 2023. Supported by Inter-American Development Bank, the studio will provide an opportunity and space for local artists to produce high-quality music. The studio is also the result of the commitment by the Belize Tourism Board to enhance the cultural component of Belize's tourism portfolio.



Amidst the rapid growth in local entertainment, Belizean artists and producers will now be able to grasp the many opportunities arising in the industry thanks to a project that will provide two brand new state-of-the-art music recording studios in Belize.

The Reef Recording Studio located in downtown Belize City, was officially handed over to the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) for its management and operation on Saturday, February 11, 2023. The studio is equipped with modern recording equipment and will be used by local and international musicians. The studio also features a virtual recording mode that will enable artists to connect across the country.

The Reef Recording Studio is the brain-child of the Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, to answer the call to effectively serve and address the needs of the music sector in Belize. The studio was built at a cost of $162,000 BZD and is the first of two studios to be constructed. The second studio will be located in Orange Walk Town and will be completed in the next few months. Both studios are part of a project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank's Sustainable Tourism Program II and administered by the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations.

Present at the handing over ceremony of the Reef Recording Studio were: Mr. Ramiro Lopez Ghio, Country Representative for IDB; Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations; Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Transport; and Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology. Also in attendance were various local artists, producers, and music stakeholders. The media and attendees were given a tour and live demonstration of the recording studio.

The Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, and by extension the BTB, is dedicated to developing and implementing tourism programs that will strengthen and develop the Belizean tourism industry. These tourism programs are geared at direct services and products as well as ancillary services such as those inclusive of music and culture, in all its artistic forms of expressions.

His Worship the Mayor of Belize City, Mr. Bernard Wagner, today handed over a cheque for $5,000.00 to Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations at the Reef Music Studio located in the Heritage Plaza, downtown Belize City. The funds will go towards the creation of an "Orange" Trust, which will support the creative arts and music sector in Belize. The Trust will also include proceeds from last year's Belize International Music and Food Festival.