Above: the Carnaval des Fleurs (Photos: OP Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haitians gathered this weekend for the third annual Carnaval des Fleurs summer carnival in Port-au-Prince.

The festival seeks to highlight Haiti’s flora; it is being held through Tuesday.

Its first edition was held in July 2012, initially launched to spur tourism growth during the summer months.

Ahead of the event, Haiti President Michel Martelly said the “great cultural event” was an “opportunity for Haiti to sell a better image of itself and attract tourists.”

He said the progress over the festival since 2012 would have a “positive economic impact on the commercial sector in particular.”

Last year, approximately 22,000 people came to Haiti during the 10-day period that included the Carnival of Flowers, according to figures from Haiti’s Tourism Ministry.

Around 75 percent of those visitors came for leisure including the carnival, according to a survey.