Above: Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin at a meeting in Turks and Caicos

By the Caribbean Journal staff

While the development of Haiti’s tourism sector is very much in its early stages, there could be a way to jumpstart it — by taking advantage of island hopping.

Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedruoin visited Turks and Caicos on Thursday to explore the possibility of a partnership between the two sides, with the ultimate goal of drawing island-hopping tourists to Cap-Haitien.

On Thursday, Villedrouin visited Turks and Caicos, joined by her departmental director, Dieudonne Luma, holding meetings with the local Haitian community in the territory and with Turks and Caicos officials.

“The goal is to position Cap-Haitien, with its historic potential, as a tour destination for tourists from Providenciales,” the Minister said.

Villedrouin also recently held similar multi-island talks with tourism officials from Guadeloupe.

There has been more and more airlift connecting Haiti and Turks and Caicos, particularly on the route from Providenciales to Cap-Haitien, two cities which could form part of an island-hopping package because of their relative proximity.

Villedrouin’s visit comes after another recent trip by Haitian officials to Turks and Caicos.

While the two sides have experienced tensions in recent years due to illegal migration coming from Haiti, over the last year Haiti and the Turks and Caicos have been looking to explore new aspects of their relationship, particularly through tourism cooperation.