Haiti Readies for 2013 Tourism Push

By: - January 1st, 2013

Above: Jacmel (Photo: MT Haiti)

By Alexander Britell

Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin has unveiled a series of priority projects on which her ministry plans to work in 2013.

Highlighting the list are potential agreements with Delta, Air France and Air Transat for the promotion of tourism packages. In fact, Canada’s Transat, has already announced plans to offer vacation packages to Haiti.

Haiti will also be promoting the country as a destination at tourism fairs in New York, Montreal, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic, according to Villedrouin. (Guadeloupe, along with Martinique, has been of particular interest to the Ministry as fellow Francophone islands; late in 2012, the country brought over a group of travel agents from Guadeloupe in a bid to bring more business from the French departments.)

This year, the Ministry plans to open a tourism training institute in Les Cayes.

The country additionally will continue work on airport construction in Les Cayes and Ile a Vache. Haiti has high hopes for the tourism potential of Ile a Vache, Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told Caribbean Journal in an interview last month.

The country plans to open a “professional cuisine laboratory” with a restaurant component in Port-au-Prince. That’s part of a push by the Ministry to promote Haiti’s cuisine; the latest manifestation was the launch of a series of videos focusing on Haiti’s gastronomy by world-renowned Chef Jose Andres, who will be returning to Haiti for more filming work this year.

Villedrouin said Haiti planned to implement a “tourist police” as well, ostensibly to protect some of the country’s more popular tourism areas.

Early in 2013, the Best Western Haiti is slated to open, which will add another 600 new rooms to the country’s hotel stock, following the debut last month of the five-star Royal Oasis in Petionville, a hotel managed by Spanish firm Occidental.

Last year, the focus was first to start rebranding Haiti’s tourism image, Villedrouin told Caribbean Journal.

The plan was to reshape Haiti in the minds of foreign visitors — and slowly begin to return to the vacation destination Haiti was decades ago.

That led to everything from a billboard on I-95 in Miami promoting Haiti, to a new logo and ad campaign: “Experience It.”

Now, the challenge is for Haiti to turn start turning the new campaign into more visitors, particularly in light of a newly-issued travel warning from the US State Department.

“The task is daunting and we recognize the magnitude of the challenges,” Villedrouin said in a statement. “However, we believe that the dawn of prosperity and stability begins to shine on the face of this country we cherish and love so much.”

Haiti

Haiti Marks 209 Years of Independence

Above: a special mass in Gonaives (Photo: OPM Haiti) By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti celebrated 209 years of independence Tuesday. As part of the celebrations, a sizable government delegation led by Haiti President Michel Martelly visited the city of Gonaives to participate in independence ceremonies. The proclamation by Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti independent from […]

Haiti

Magic Johnson, Rick Fox Pay Visit to Bahamian Prime Minister

Above: Former Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Rick Fox with Bahamian officials (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay) By the Caribbean Journal staff Hall of Fame basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson and fellow Los Angeles Lakers star Rick Fox paid a visit on Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie at his office Monday. Johnson, who won five NBA […]

Haiti

Expansion of Panama Canal Nearly 50 Percent Complete

Above: the Panama Canal (Photo: Panama Tourism) By the Caribbean Journal staff Progress on the expansion of the Panama Canal was at 48.9 percent through November, the Panama Canal Authority announced in a press release Monday. The report came as the Canal celebrated 13 years under Panamanian administration. “The Panama Canal reaffirms its relevance in […]

Caribbean Journal's Entrepreneur of the Year 2012: Jamaica's Tyrone Wilson

 Above: Sagicor Life CEO Richard Byles and Tyrone Wilson (right) CARIBBEAN GOVERNMENTS often mention the need for the region to go digital. ICT — information and communications technology, for countries that have few natural resources, is a way to diversify their economies, they frequently say. And in an increasingly flat world, it’s digital innovation that […]

The Most Popular Stories of 2012

It was another active year in the Caribbean, from the arrests of one former Premier and another sitting Premier; a wave of new hotel activity; a series of downgrades of government debt and several high-profile elections. But what were Caribbean Journal readers’ favourite stories this year? Check out the list below. 1. Haiti Tourism Minister […]

St Lucia's Anthony Urges Halt to Shipment of Radioactive Waste Through Caribbean

Above: Sagicor Life CEO Richard Byles and Tyrone Wilson (right) CARIBBEAN GOVERNMENTS often mention the need for the region to go digital. ICT — information and communications technology, for countries that have few natural resources, is a way to diversify their economies, they frequently say. And in an increasingly flat world, it’s digital innovation that […]

Haiti's Martelly Returns to Stage in Dominican Republic Charity Concert

 Above: Julio Iglesias at the charity benefit in the Dominican Republic By the Caribbean Journal staff Haiti President Michel Martelly, who in his previous career was the singer “Sweet Micky,” returned to the stage Friday for a charity concert with Spanish singer Julio Iglesias in the Dominican Republic. The concert sought to raise funds for […]