A Haitian vacation Tourism as aid-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

By ELIZABETH LAZAR / NY Post

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI — Ten months after the earthquake that leveled its capital and killed a quar ter-million people, Haiti’s best hope is looking to be . . . tourism. That’s the consensus of the nation’s political class, and it may well be right.

International aid won’t do it. Yes, more than 50 countries pledged roughly $9 billion to rebuild Haiti — but only $686 million has actually arrived, and the global recession limits hopes for more.

Without long-term aid, reconstruction has all but stopped, leaving Haiti’s presidential candidates in a heated debate. The contenders have varying visions of what the country needs to get out of hell — but all support developing tourist infrastructure.

International experts back the idea, insisting that the travel industry, alongside agricultural and manufacturing development, is critical to recovery.

Former President Bill Clinton (co-chairman of the interim reconstruction commission for Haiti) agrees, recently saying that tourism-related projects are necessary and should “stay on schedule,” including “the airport that needs to be built in the northern part of Haiti.”

In fact, the tourism drive predates the earthquake. After all, the vacation industry has lured billions of dollars to Haiti’s more stable Caribbean neighbors. The Dominican Republic (with whom Haiti shares the island) earns nearly a quarter of its GDP from visitors, making tourism by far the most profitable sector of its economy.

But . . . vacation in Haiti? Now? Even be fore the earthquake, Haiti for most people summoned up images of boat refugees and famished children, street violence and decades of political instability. Post-quake, mention of a holiday there sounds like an off-color joke.

Yet Haiti offers all the same beach attractions as the other islands, plus its own cultural gems. For the more adventurous, there’s plenty; archeological exploration, visits to Voodoo ritualistic sites or a horseback ride through the village of Milot — home to the historic Citadelle, an impressive mountaintop fortress, and Palace of Sans Souci ruins.

Leslie Voltaire, UN special envoy to Haiti and lead planner for the government’s recovery effort, told me, “Haitian tourism is at the very base of the re-foundation of the country.”

They need the money. Less than 4 percent of the debris has been cleared since the quake; some 1.3 million people still sleep on dirt under threadbare tarps, even as Hurricane Tomas threatens. Drinkable water and toilets are hard to come by, and getting one daily meal remains a hustle for most. (Happily, the cholera outbreak has been contained. The US Centers for Disease Control says “travelers are not at high risk.”)

So who does vacation in Haiti? Patrick Delatour, Haiti’s minister of tourism, points first to the nearly 2 million Haitians living abroad. “But then there’s the Europeans,” whom he said make up 40 percent of the Haitian travel marketplace and are, “cultural consumers who get tired of the original product of sensi [marijuana] and sun.”

Last year, Royal Caribbean cruise line, which has been landing in Haiti for nearly 30 years, plunked $55 million into Haiti’s travel industry. It has long leased Labadee, a resort port on the northern coast. Because of the warnings by the US State Department, the company’s ads often refrained from listing “Haiti” as a destination, describing Labadee instead as an “island” in its own right on Hispaniola.

The cruise anchors offshore and passengers are whisked to the highly gated resort compound, often without being told they are, in fact, in Haiti. There they sun on pristine beaches, stroll through quaint flea markets, go jet skiing or take in local exotica such as traditional Haitian dance performances. For every tourist that lands in Labadee, the cruise line forks over $10 to Haiti’s government. Delatour projects 1 million visitors by year’s end — and $10 million just off the Royal Caribbean deal alone.

The city of Jacmel was just gaining ground as an international tourist destination before the earthquake inflicted heavy damage. But it still features French colonial-era architecture, an ecstatic and vibrant carnival, breathtaking beaches and even a film festival.

Of course, vacationers don’t want to confront or even think about suffering. But Haiti’s industry can boom if it only attracts a fraction of the Caribbean-bound. And the American people’s generous response after the quake proves they want to help. Surely some will find it appealing to combine tropical travel with good world-citizenship. Something like, “Rebuilding Haiti, one garnished beach cocktail at a time.”

Elizabeth Lazar is a freelance writer who’s traveled extensively Haiti over the last 10 months.

lazarmuir@gmail.com

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COMMENTARY BY HAITIAN-TRUTH

Tourism is a major key to the survival of Haiti and it has the potential to be something special.

It was special once….even during the Duvalier years we had a constant flow of tourism. Something like 83,000 in 1986. Democracy seems to have killed this one as our democratically elected people pillage the national treasury, Preval and his in-laws are major culprits. Patrick Delatour is one of these.

Until recently, Labadee was not in Haiti…so far as boat passengers were concerned. They knew they had holidayed at a nice Caribbean spot… but were never told they were in Haiti.  In fact, locals are not welcome, unless they are the few working in gift shops and kitchens.

No Haitians allowed.

In fact, the lease benefits the tour company, not Haiti. Haiti has pumped a lot of money into Labadee and, unless you take into consideration the kickbacks to politicians – there is a net outflow of funds from Haiti into the Labadee pit.

There can be no investment in Haitian tourism, or anything else, until  a reasonable honest government is in place and there is some sort of stability – financial and otherwise.  A nation that sees President Preval, and his then-Prime Minister Jacques Alexis – in cooperation with Elizabeth Delatour and Jude Celestin – steal a couple of hundred million – dedicated to hurricane victims….does not generate a lot of trust.

The elections are presently being pirated by Preval and his team – as they move to install a puppet government. Their effort is obvious to observers and – if successful – will simply see funds blocked.

Tourism and investment are neat concepts, but neither has a chance until Preval becomes past history and is judged for his many crimes which include murder, kidnap, torture, drug trafficking, and theft of a few hundred million dollars.

I am not optimistic.

Collins

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1 thought on “A Haitian vacation Tourism as aid-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

  1. Re: Ms. Lazar’s article: “A Haitian vacation, tourism as aid.”
    In addition to tourism and vacations which are also valuable, Haiti needs and deserves an historical and international embrace
    like Zionism has done for Israel.
    African-Americans and Haitian-Americans with a minimum knowledge
    and understanding of our common history in the Americas,
    can do for Haiti what the Jewish Diaspora has done for Israel.
    These two nations situations are identical except for our skin color.
    Why would our destiny be different?
    And what a great opportunity for black people in America to change
    their status from Affirmation Actions recipients to nation builders … like Gloda Meir in 1948.
    If tourism can flourish in Israel …. it surely can in Haiti with a committed African and Haitian Diaspora.

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