In the aftermath of the 7.0 Haiti earthquake, it’s difficult to imagine the future of travel and tourism in the battered country.
Prior to the January 12 earthquake, Haiti had been eyed as a potential tourism hotspot, with several projects already completed or underway.
In May, former President Bill Clinton was appointed United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti, and quickly targeted tourism as a key area for private investment.
At a Miami conference this year, Clinton suggested that organized tours in Haiti could bring in as many as two to four million tourists a year and create significant job growth.
Haiti saw about 800,000 visitors in 2008, about 500,000 of which arrived on cruise ships but used only limited resources on the island. Many of the remaining visitors are thought to be native Haitians visiting from abroad.
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In October, the Haitian government signed a $30 million deal with Venezuela build a new international airport in Cap-Haitien—about 85 miles from Port-au-Prince on the country’s north coast.
The U.S. Agency for International Development had granted $15 million for three-year development project, part of which would involve training locals to work in the hospitality and tourism industry.
For nearly 30 years, the cruise line Royal Caribbean International has leased a private beach resort called Labadee, adjacent to Cap-Haitien. Each week, thousands of cruisers sail into this tropical oasis, bringing in $6 a head to the Haitian government and employing hundreds of locals. The resort is fenced off from the rest of the island and guarded by private security; passengers are not allowed to leave the area.
Royal Caribbean recently spent $55 million to upgrade the resort, including a new 800-foot cruise-ship pier, a zipline and rollercoaster. Visitors can also spend the day parasailing, kayaking, splashing around Royal Caribbean’s Aqua Park, or buying local wares.
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Last Friday, the Independence of the Seas landed in unharmed Labadee, bringing passengers and relief supplies. The cruise line announced that 100 percent of its net revenue from cruise ship visits to Haiti will be contributed to relief efforts, and that it will provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief.
Other ships expected to land in Labadee carrying passengers and relief materials are Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas (scheduled to land today) and Liberty of the Seas, and the Celebrity Solstice.
Less than a week before the earthquake, Choice Hotels International had announced its plans to build two new hotels in Haiti—a Comfort Inn and a boutique hotel—in the township of Jacmel. The status of both projects is currently unclear.
A $40 million road project was being planned to link Labadee to the Citadelle and Sans Souci Palace—a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The nearest town, Milot, would be transformed into a tourist destination from where visitors could hike or ride on horseback up to the Citadelle.
Meanwhile, Port-au-Prince’s landmark National Palace has crumbled, along with the main parliament building and presidential palace. Many hotels are in ruins, including Hotel Montana and Karibe Hotel, while the renowned Hotel Oloffson, a gingerbread mansion in Port-au-Prince, has reported some damage.
By Sarika Chawla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Sources: Miami Herald, New Civil Engineer, Telegraph (UK), Christian Science Monitor, Stabroek News, USA Today, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun
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