Haiti’s rebranding itself as tourism destination

Haiti’s rebranding itself as tourism destination
By Jacqueline Charles
jcharles@Miamiherald.com

They came bearing a colorful brochure, new logo and hope that after years of disaster and crisis, Haiti will return to the tourism map.
“Everyone has sand and beach,” said Elsa Baussan Noel, tourism adviser to Haitian President Michel Martelly and a third-generation hotelier. “We have a pretty interesting religion mix. We have different music. We have artisans. We have culture.”

Noel was among more than 20 Haitian hotelier and wannabe hoteliers who worked the halls at the two-day Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment (CHRIS) Summit, which ended Tuesday in downtown Miami.

The Haiti delegation was by far the largest representing any one country.

The third annual conference attracted more than 300 hospitality consultants, real estate developers, brand executives, chief bank economists and the biggest hotel investors in the Caribbean.

Participants focused on recent tourism trends in the Caribbean, which is rebounding despite the global economic downturn. Demand for new hotel rooms is up, participants said, but they noted that securing financing remains difficult.

Currently, there are 8,000 hotel rooms in the pipeline. And of the five biggest hotel projects currently under construction, two are in the Bahamas and two in the Dominican Republic.

For Haitians, the outlook in the neighboring Dominican Republic presented both promise and challenge.
“Haiti has definitely disappeared from the tourism map. But today, they are talking about Haiti,” said Dominique Carvonis, who was shopping her new 130-room hotel near the Port-au-Prince international airport.

Already, Occidental, Marriott and Best Western have announced plans for hotels in Haiti. But there is room for others, Haitian hoteliers said.

Still, selling Haiti as a tourism destination wasn’t easy, demonstrating the rough road Haiti still has before it seeks to re-brand its image.

“Haiti is an emerging market that has tremendous potential,” said Andy Ingraham, president and CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners with more than 500 hotels around the U.S. and Caribbean.

“Everybody keeps saying let’s go to Haiti, but investors are looking for great infrastructure, where the investment can give a return. You can’t build a brand hotel and there is no way to get to it.”
Such challenges were evident in the hallway conversations and private meetings.
“More than ever, it’s a big uphill battle,” said Gregory Brandt, who was touting a beachfront hotel project north of the capital. “Perception, image is as low as ever. Nothing has changed.”

But instead of being discouraged, Noel, who runs a hillside hotel in Petionville, said she remains optimistic. One reason may be that at least two other well-known brands are in discussions to operate hotels in Haiti.


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There are people in this forum who will say I am too pessimistic and too critical of the government or I am against everything ,but let's be at least rational;How do we expect to attract tourists in haiti when the two most essentials requirements for tourism to flourish are lacking;Security and cleanliness. Who is in his right mind would want to visit a dirty coutry where there is a lack of security.?Yes there are beaches in haiti ,but does the government maintain them?

Genyen anpil opinyon sou Ayiti.

Gade kisa etranje ap di:



Al Mearder
Go Haiti
Go Haiti
Go Haiti



Facund
Why, then did you not go to Haiti?

Al Mearder
I was too busy f..... Your sister

Facund
You have to be the most stupid person of the world to spend your vacations in Haiti.

Al Mearder
You are the most stupid persons for saying that and a C L O W N
Look out for Haiti in let's say 3 -5 years C L O W N

If you are only posting negative views about Haiti, it is clear that you have some kind of feeling inside that you want to go to Haiti. I just came back from Haiti and I had a good time there. It is a beautiful country. Have you ever gone to Haiti? If you have not,you need to stop hating on a country that is trying to get back on her feet.What is your problem? Do you have some issues that you need to address with a therapist? If so, you need to call 211 and you will have the proper services. If you need some more guidance, you need to speak with your pastor at your local church. By the way, please check Royal Caribbean Cruise because over a thousand of Americans have gone to Haiti aka Lambadee, Haiti. You may have gone to Haiti but you did not even know it was Haiti.

Al Mearder
Haiti , you are the Boss, the BIG BOSS

Al Mearder

No , he has been trying his best o break our spirit since the time of the Earth Quake , but seeing , Haiti gets better each and every time , that's what it is , he s one of the few lonely Trolls who drops by when ever he hears an article about Haiti .
Nothing break will break us
No one will break us

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Al Mearder
Haiti, Cherie



Lorena Gutierrez
Unfortunately you cant cure ignorant people but you can try to educate them.
There is beauty and history all over the world. As for Haiti take the time to visit outside of Port-au-Prince unfortunately the media only drives on showing the worst of Haiti how else would they get a paid vacation to Haiti????
What the media doesnt show is them having a great time in Haiti, going to beautiful restaurants, staying in beautiful hotels, and eating great food going to concerts shopping for great art.

I'm from Mexico I've been going to Haiti since 2004 not just for business, to distribute supplies but for pleasure as well. Sometimes the beauty you see in Haiti you cant even capture it with your camera lense.

They have beautiful beaches, amazing waterfalls that you have to walk through 3 rivers to see an amazing turquoise blue waterfall called Basin Bleau, take a helicopter ride see the beaches, visit Jacmel and its amazing people and art.

Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed in Tortuga Island in the Northern Coast of Haiti.
At one time MLB baseballs were made in Haiti. Take the time to google Haiti and ask people who have visited Haiti and ask about the good things outside of PAP and see how amazed you will be.

Kakakok has shown a picture of Cap-haitien that is not very enticing for me to visit.The same for Port-au-Prince where 2 years after the earthquake the city looks like a place where an enemy has dropped a nuclear bomb.It is not only these two cities that are in this unhealthy condition, the city of jeremie looks the same ,Gonaives forget about it people in raboteau are complaining they don't have anywhere to go to the bathroom,now there is an epidemy of rage in Artibonite , an epidemy of cholera in the North and in the South ,and people are talking about tourism. I don't know maybe i have an erroneous conception of why tourists visit a country.

This morning I read on the site of the Nouvellis how ,despite the removal of the tents, the place of the Pantheon is still dirty.