Article: Haiti targets tourism as growth area

The idea of making Haiti into a tourist destination beyond Labadee is great if they can really put the wheels in motion and build resorts that are competitive with existing ones in the area i.e. the DR (prime competition), Cuba, the Bahamas and Jamaica. The potential revenue from additional resorts I think is lucrative but they are a long way off from turning around the current state of affairs.

I have never been to Haiti and the thought of it being a prime resort destination in the near future is exciting (for the country potentially to rise from its ruins) but what will it take to get me on a plane from Canada since Canadians are the target market and go to Haiti, a country that has a tarnished reputation due to political unrest and poverty, in addition to the recent destruction caused by the 2010 earthquake and the cholera outbreak in the same year? That question I don't have the answer to and may not even have it when the resorts are built and charter flights are flying out from Canada's largest cities which will most likely be Montreal and Toronto.

Canadians like to travel to resort destinations in the Caribbean but other than Montrealers and some Torontonians how many know about Haiti? I doubt the percentage is very high. The Haitian diaspora is large and visible in Montreal. I live the reality and I agree with the article they will target these travelers to lure them back to their island and spend some dollars in Haiti but what about the other half of the target which is the rest of Canadians? What kind of marketing strategy will be used to get Canadians to go to Haiti instead of traditional places of choice like the DR and Cuba?

Some Haitians have told me that their country is beautiful and foreigners who have never visited don't get to see beyond the images presented in the media etc. and this I believe is true because I have seen some beautiful photos of Haiti's landscape and wonderful architecture that reflects its French heritage which I compare to French-speaking countries and regions around the world. The culture is evident via architecture and for sure in other aspects as well.

I enjoyed what I read about Haiti's future via tourism in this article as yet another stepping stone in (re)building this turbulent and battled Caribbean nation. Believe it or not if they pull it off, I will be there one day.


Article from the Gazette (Montreal) Haiti targets tourism as growth area

Que viva Haiti.....


-Marianopolita.

rubio_higuey said:

Good luck to them, but if Colombia has problems attracting much international tourism (North America, Europe) - though this is changing by the day - can you imagine HAITI's potential? Can you imagine looks on the face of your friends and family when you tell them you are going to vacation to "Haiti"? I am not trying to place racist card, but it will be decades for Haiti to be just only on the same tourism acceptance level as Colombia is today! And I love Colombia and have not even been there (seen lots of pics and recounts both here on DR1 and from other Colombians I know).

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I agree with you. I think a lot of work has to be done from a marketing perspective to attract tourists from Canada and other countries to Haiti. I have been to Colombia many times- Cartagena, Medellin, Bogota and I have driven through some of the interior as well. It's a beautiful country but like any other it has its issues and one does have to be careful. The traffic in Bogota is horrendous! I don't know how people deal with that.

I agree with Greydread though from the stand point that Haiti's location in the Caribbean is a strong point because it's right in the heart of other popular Caribbean destinations but as mentioned the government owns the creation of a new Haiti. It can be done only if they don't succumb to their historical path of self-destruction. Four years as targeted in the article might be the opportune time as other destinations become less popular and people look to explore other areas in the Caribbean. I would like to hear that the Haitian diaspora has an interest in attracting tourists to their country.

Chirimoya said:

I'd love to visit Ile-a-Vache Haiti

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The second picture in the article is of ?le-?-Vache and the caption states that since the earthquake it has become destitute.

greydread said:

I think that the travel distance has more to do with the lack of touristic enthusiasm for Colombia than its reputation. On the other hand Haiti's proximity will be a factor in its favor. I hope that there is at least a significant Haitian ownership of these planned resorts. Let's see if the government can resist the temptation to go down the same path as its predecessors. It's way past time for some good news out of Haiti.

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I agree with you but San Andr?s Island is still quite a popular tourist destination although it's not the same as going to mainland Colombia.


-Marianopolita.

All of Canada?

Eddy said:

Haiti was a Canadian trourist destination long before the DR.

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Yes, but from what part of Canada other than Quebec and Ontario? (also mentioned in my first post) I don't think it's popular Canada wide past and present. For example, I don't think people from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island etc have Haiti on their tourist destination list. I could be wrong though.

This is what they will be striving to change with attractive resort packages.

-Marianopolita.