Haiti as a tourist destination

Vacation to Haiti??   Haiti is better known for its natural disasters and political unrest than for its tourists. Some Haiti entrepreneurs are investing time and money to change that. "People just have no clue,"  "They know that it's an island, but they don't even know that it's an island with beaches. Yet building a tourism won't be easy.  The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 destroyed much of the capital as well as this historic southern beach town, killing several hundred thousand people. Political stability and economic growth were hit as hard as Haiti's cinder block homes. Post-quake Haiti was again synonymous with disaster. Helping Haiti became a popular humanitarian cause; mission groups and aid workers flocked to the country.

When they arrived, many aid workers became smitten with Haitian culture, rhythms and art. They embraced the tropical climate and color. "This catastrophe has helped people discover Haiti again,"

Instability, both political and social, is one of the main impediments to Haitian tourism. And it has smothered hopes of building a tourism sector twice before. After an international exposition in Haiti in 1949, the country was termed the "pearl of the Antilles" through much of the 1950s. The brutal dictatorship of Francois Duvalier put an end to that. Tourism began to rebound under the loosened tyranny of the dictator's son,  "Baby Doc" Duvalier, in the 1970s, only to be crushed again with the onset of AIDS in the 1980s. Some believe that Haiti may now have another chance. 

 All this is not without its challenges. Infrastructure for tourism remains minimal. International visitors must fly into Port-au-Prince airport and brave cutthroat competition among porters looking to carry their luggage. Hotel prices are inflated because hotels have to cover the costs of private water sources, electrical generators to augment irregular power, and even private trash incineration. 

The humanitarian disaster after the 2010 earthquake also created a dilemma for travelers: Who wants to be relaxing poolside knowing that, just down the road, malnourished children are living in tents? To address this situation, "voluntourists" are being encouraged to take trips that divide time between helping Haitians and enjoying the island. But even this has its problems. Critics say a couple of days of volunteering has minimal effect on needy communities, not to mention the fact that volunteers performing manual labor undermines the local labor market. Yet visitors are still wanted, and needed. "The way to help the poverty in Haiti is to come to Haiti, eat Haitian food, buy local products. You Have A Choice Ministries, Inc