Above: the council’s first meeting (Photo: MT Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti’s new Tourism Advisory Council held its first meeting Tuesday since being established in early December.

The board was established by a government decree on Dec. 5.

“This structure reflects a desire to strengthen the organization of the central government to give the tourism sector a space to create synergy between the state and private operators to a achieve a large, public-private tourism forum,” said Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin, who chairs the new council.

The Tourism Advisory Board, or CTC (Conseil Consultatif du Tourisme), will be responsible for making proposals on all major issues facing Haiti’s tourism industry, Villedrouin said.

That will include policies, programmes, historical cultural heritage and art, among other areas.

“The advisory council must ensure the implementation of our revised Master Plan,” she said. “It must also ensure the competitiveness of the sector and monitor the agreements made.”

Haiti has been signing a number of tourism agreements of late, both with governments such as Mexico and Ecuador and private companies like Canada’s Transat.

The board consists of members of the public sector and representatives of various tourism agencies and organizations, including several Ministries.