Above: the Abaka Bay Resort in Haiti

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti’s renewed focus on tourism seems to be paying off so far in 2014.

After a 2013 that saw a 20.2 percent improvement in arrivals compared to the previous year, Haiti’s numbers continue to grow.

The Caribbean nation experienced a 14.9 percent increase in tourist arrivals in the first quarter, with a total of 114,501 visitors from January to March, according to new data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Haiti’s efforts, led by Minister Stephanie Villedrouin, paid off most recently with the news this week that American Airlines would be launching new daily nonstop service to Cap-Haitien, a destination on the northern coast whose development will be crucial if Haiti’s tourism dreams are to become a reality.

Over the last several years, the country has also seen a number of new and renovated hotels, although the bulk of that development has come around the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The city has seen a number of new entries, including Occidental, which opened the Royal Oasis; Best Western, which debuted the Best Western Premier last year and NH, which renovated the former El Rancho hotel into the NH El Rancho.

Hilton also announced it would be building a Hilton Garden Inn in the country as well.