Above: the visiting CTO delegation and Haitian officials

By the Caribbean Journal staff

A delegation from the Caribbean Tourism Organization made a visit to Haiti on Thursday.

The delegation, which was led by Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary General Hugh Riley also included Faye Gill, director of customer service for member countries.

On Thursday, the CTO delegation visited with officials from Haiti’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries, including Secretary of State Jessy Menos and Maryse Christmas, director of the Ministry of Tourism.

The trip was an “exploratory visit,” according to a statement from the Tourism Ministry, aimed at boosting relations between Haiti and the regional organization.

The CTO, which is the regional development agency for the entire Caribbean region, has 30 member countries across the English, Spanish, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean.

Its stated vision is to position the region as the “most desirable year-round, warm-weather destination.”

In recent years, Haiti has been on a major push to develop what had been a largely neglected tourism industry.