Violent Haiti being polished as tourist paradise
Haiti with its violence and kidnappings has not exactly been a hot spot for tourism in recent years but a South Florida company is trying to get visitors to see it in a different light.
“The main goal of this project is to minimize the negative impact of the present situation on the tourism industry and increase tourist arrivals with input from the Haitian government,” says the web site of www.tohaiti.com.
A Haitian-American owned company, MWM & Associates based in Miami, is trying to improve the image of the country and promote more visitors there. The government is also involved in the effort which is also aimed at bettering the poor country’s economy.
“Haiti has many coastal hotels that have not positioned themselves as tourist destinations. MWM will manage such a hotel for five years and utilize it as a hotel and hospitality training facility,” according to company literature.
Only 112,000 tourists visited Haiti last year, compared to 4 million in the Dominican Republic, according to government officials.
But MWM is offering all-inclusive, four-day getaway packages from Haiti’s north coast and other areas. One package including airfare starts at $499.
Billboards are staring to appear in South Florida to promote Haiti as a destination offering gourmet food in a setting of calm Caribbean waters.
The tagline is “Your Secret Paradise.”
Report by David Wilkening
David
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