Above: Dominican and Haitian officials at the opening event in Santo Domingo (Photo: MT Haiti)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

While attracting visitors from the United States and Canada will be crucial for Haiti’s tourism hopes, the country is also looking for travelers closer to home.

Haiti’s government has officially inaugurated its first-ever tourism promotion office in the Dominican Republic.

The initiative is part of a cooperation agreement signed between Haiti and the Dominican Republic during high-level talks in May.

While Haiti could face challenges courting tourists from a country with which it has not always had sterling relations, Haiti Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin said perception played a large role, and that the neighbouring Dominican Republic was an “important market.”

“Due to a lack of information, Dominicans believe that Haiti is a dangerous place,” she said after the opening.

“But Haiti is not among the countries with problems of insecurity in the Caribbean,” she said, pointing to regional crime figures released last year.

The new office is located at the Bella Vista Mall on Avenue Romulo Belancourt in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo.

“Haiti is ready for tourists and, for that, we know it’s important to open an office that could provide information on the destination,” the Minister said.