The momentum of northern Haiti tourism

Tourism momentum in Haiti
The ships are arriving every day.  Northern Haiti is similar to the Bahamas where tourism has gotten momentum.  More staff members are needed to facilitate the task.  The tourism season is at its peak.

Tourism means growth

Tourism is the source of development.  As a result, the US dollar will be in circulation and the inflation rate of the currency exchange will be lessened. Tourism does a lot of good things.  People are either working or doing business with the tourism industry.  It brings development.

Bringing tourism to northern Haiti contributes in large part to the growth of the area.  This tourism project creates jobs.  People now can afford things that in the past were a mere dream.  Taxi drivers, hotels, merchants of various items in the open tourism market benefit from it.

Luring ships and tourists to Haiti
The government and the port authority of Cap-Haitien must work together to find ways to keep the tourism industry flourishing.  This can be accomplished by luring more ships and people to northern Haiti.  This time, the tourism business is better organized and more promising than in the past.  Serious measures have been taken for that purpose.

Besides increasing business in the area, the safety of the tourists and making their trip to Haiti memorable and fun are primary goals to achieve.  Haiti is politically unstable despite the new democracy instituted in the country.  With added expenditures for security and the well-being of the people of northern Haiti, tourism can be once again like under the Duvalier era or like the Bahamas or any stable countries

Northern Haiti is open for business

Now that all the preparation work is completed, northern Haiti is open for tourism.  The city of Cap-Haitien, the main city in the area, becomes once again the host of a multitude of tourists.  The atmosphere is festive and hopeful.  Staff members, facilities and the entire process of operations are in place to kick off the tourism industry for good.

The tourism project is finally operational.  After a few years of preparations, the first ship, Carnaval Conquest, has set sail for Cap-Haitien.  It is due to dock at 5:30 AM.  The start is kind of slow, but several cruise lines have signed up with the local tourism industry to do business in northern city of Cap-Haitien.

The port of Cap-Haitien has the capability of receiving ships of huge sizes.  In case the port cannot accommodate several ships at once, some of them will be sent to Labadee, which is right around the hill of Picolet.

Tourism is the source of income and development for any developed and third-world countries.  The mood in the people of northern Haiti reflects hope, work and change.  I wish everyone and every area of Haiti had this positive attitude about oneself and in everything in general.

Tourism arrangement is not different from the United States or Europe.  Service is the key; customer satisfaction must be guaranteed; security service is provided based on the marsek level of the day. 

Full security is maintained with the presence of national coast guard, local police and a number of security guards in designated areas of the terminals patrolling the dock and surrounding areas.  The goal is that someone who takes a cruise to Haiti wants to come back for more of northern Haiti.

Getting the port ready for business

 Local government and port authority join forces
One major development is the local government working with port authority in Cap-Haitien about future cruise liners bringing tourists to the city. 

The port has to be ready to receive thousands of people and number of huge vessels.  The accommodation of people and ships is costly.  Arrangement between those two separate entities is needed to get the tourism industry off the ground.

 What it takes to get the port ready for business
First, the port authority needs to improve or renovate the port facility.  They need new offices and the recruitment of more experienced people to handle the flow of arrivals of tourists and ships.  The use of sophisticated equipments and technology, however costly, should be acquired to communicate with the outside world and to facilitate the task.

Tourism funds providers
This entire tourism endeavor costs money.  But who will provide the funds?  Local and federal governments will take the lion share of the cost; the port authority will make up the difference.  All three branches of government work jointly to make this northern Haiti tourism project a success.

The port authority of Cap-Haitien will receive the first installment of cash to start the renovation process.  With good money management and steady work being done, the contractors promise to complete the project on or ahead of schedule.

To meet their goal, contractors hire experienced laborers or known professionals to do the job.  The incentive that those contractors offer to their employees improves their work performance and quality.  That’s what it takes for employees to be at their best.

Equipments acquisition

Equipments needed for the tourism project
The management office of tourism in northern Haiti is in the process of buying computers, computer equipments, satellite dishes and communication gears.  A storehouse is full of various equipments and stuffs to be used everywhere for the tourism project.

Cost of the project

A large sum of money has been spent in preparation for the tourism project.  All the equipments cost a total of $70,000 US dollars.  Each piece of equipment is an investment to fulfill the goal of reviving the tourism industry in and around Cap-Haitien.

Another investment the management is making is in people.  A group of young men with some rudimentary skills in computer or technology as a whole are chosen to receive training to operate the newly acquired machines when the tourism industry becomes operational.

Employment requirements

The board of tourism is making sure that those individuals who are hired for specific positions are well prepared to handle them.  Those without a college degree or experiences in customer service are sent to a special center of formation to acquire the necessary skills to make a good representation of the industry.

Employees who are hired to do maintenance and security are being scrutinized at the recruitment site for a full evaluation.  As a matter of principle, everyone who is offered a position in the tourism industry needs to have either some background in the field.    Otherwise, training is provided to those particular individuals.

Tourism in northern Haiti is about to be a success, something that can be implemented in the rest of the country or elsewhere.  Management is great.  All the necessary equipments are in place.  Tourism is about to boom in northern Haiti.

Tourism advertisement

The northern
Tourism advertisement
Haiti tourism management is advertising in the United States.  They are also advertising for jobs throughout the country, and conduct interviews in earnest.  Criteria are based on previous tourism experiences or skills in customer service, English, Spanish and French.  Employment for menial positions is reserved for those who are willing to showcase their talents.

Even though it is a project for the northern part of Haiti, the tourism board is advertising in major television and radio stations in the country.  The reason for this is that they are trying to attract the best applicants for the jobs.

Tourism advertisements in US cities

To lure back tourists as in the 70s, the board of directors is about to undertake a costly advertising venture in major US cities.  This will be something worth doing if it is affordable.  I, personally, doubt that the board can afford this expensive endeavor. It would benefit the northern Haiti tourism project, but at the same time, it will drain their resources.

Employees vested interests in the tourism project

The best resources for this project, I was told, are the people who will be hired for various positions.  Their key requirements are commitment, experiences and having a vested interest in making this tourism project a role model for the rest of the country and elsewhere.

Applicants having degrees in business, hospitality and customer service are being given priority in the hiring process.  One board member told me that experienced people who work in the tourism anywhere are in great demand.  The goal is to make this tourism project something that works and whose success other countries could emulate.

Tourism project status

Tourism project completion status

The interesting thing about tourism in northern Haiti is where we are into completing preparation work to get the tourism industry back on track.  The entire area has been under renovation.

They built or repaired new roads leading to museum or to tourist attraction sites;  they also built new office buildings with parking lots; they renovated existing buildings as well; and they put up various signs everywhere.  There is a new atmosphere in the area, which shows the prelude of something big. 

Hilary Clinton's hotel construction

Besides all the preparation activities that are underway, Hilary Clinton is building a new 5-star hotel in the hill of Picolet leading to the famous Labadee and overlooking the city of Cap-Haitien and most of the area.

While I was in Haiti two weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the hotel construction site and the road construction leading to it.  It is a big project that will complement the tourism project that is underway right now.

Tourism project free of corruption

What's impressive about the whole thing is the fast step in which the tourism project in northern Haiti is moving.  Someone told me also that every penny dedicated for the project is accounted for.  Corruption, as it is often the case in anything to do with Haiti, is not an issue in this project. 

I had contacted two tourism board members while I was in Haiti.  As a student journalist, I did some investigative work.  I questioned them about the project completion time and funds management.  They both gave me similar responses.  The project will be completed ahead of the original scheduled time.  As far as funds accountability is concerned, they were very transparent in their details of things.

The administration of the tourism project

 Tourism project board members
 A committee composed of 16 various local authorities and non-governmental personalities constituted the board of directors of the tourism project.  These individuals have the right to vote on funds to be spent and how to spend it for what part of the project.

Those powerful board members require a majority of 14 out of 16 votes to pass a regulation or to vote for a specific part of the project.  Most of the time they deliberate just like a regular courtroom. 

How to vote for a budget

They may, for instance, want to have a budget of this or that amount for a specific period of time.  In the absence of a majority of votes, it is up to the members to negotiate a compromise.  In case a compromise cannot be reached, the board has to appear before a government-sponsored panel of former judges for a decision on a particular issue.

Despite the corruption that exists in the country, the money collected as donation and from some sports event activities is well managed.  By the way, I had a good time in northern Haiti.

The right of the general manager in case of money shortage

In case of money shortage, the general manager has the right to contact the office of the

mayor for assistance.  Once the request is submitted, it takes three to seven
business days to make the funds available to the responsible members of the whole
project.  Of all the members that are responsible for the administration of the
tourism project, Jean Francois is the president; Celia Joseph, the secretary; Oricene
Ruben, former tourism secretary, to name a few.  

Northern Haiti has a niche of fun tourist sites

 Fun tourist locations in northern Haiti

When tourists visit northern Haiti, they find an area full of activities.  This area reserves the most charming and fun locations, sites and museums that can make a trip there memorable for years to come.

Northern Haiti has beaches like Labadee, Cormier, Fort Saint-Michel and Camp-Louise that offer a pleasant time in the ocean with family and friends.  The beach in Labadee is similar to that of Cancun, Mexico where I visited 22 years ago. 

Every location spot around the city fascinates visitors, whoever they are and in a special way.  Besides the preparations and renovation work done to the above beaches, Northern Haiti is naturally made for tourism. 

What makes tourism attractive are people’s hospitality, their readiness to assist in any situation and the tropical climate that unlike most countries in the world is unique.  Northern Haiti, so to speak, is the get-away tourist location for a fun vacation.  For example, Labadee is a tourist hum or a crossroad for cruise liners to the Americas.

The museum in northern Haiti offers history and a glance at heroism of the Haitian indigenous troops in their independence war against the French.  For example, Verieres, Milot and the Citadelle are those tourist sites filled with such a history.

Other fun stuffs consist of boating tours and water sports, shopping, nature and parks and food and drink that visitors can purchase at a low price compared to what one would spend in the states.

Not too far from the dock is the prestigious hotel Mont Joli.  That hotel is an old 5-star of its time and of Haitian standard, so to speak.  I personally know of its existence since I was a child in high school in Cap-Haitien.  It looks more like a hotel museum than a regular 5-star.

The Status Of Reconstruction Project In And Around Cap-Haitien

Reconstruction status

Reconstruction of northern Haiti’s infrastructure and hotels are well underway.  For the past few months, workshops have been set up all over the area.  Mont Joli Hotel, Hotel Beck, La Fonda Hotel and others have been under renovation, including road repairs as an investment for the big tourism project in northern Haiti.

The city of Cap-Haitien and the surrounding areas have had for the first time in its history this colossal work project.  Streets that once were impracticable are beginning to be paved; hotels also are being renovated for tourism.

Tourism job opportunity

The locals are very happy to work, but for how long?  It’s just a matter of enjoying work while it is available.  It is not something someone can take for granted.  Haiti is a land of mystery. 

This tourism project has transformed despair into hope at least while people now have the means of putting bread on the table. 

Tourism is a big source of development in any country, which includes even in major and developed countries.  The greater good it will do to northern Haiti after the completion of the construction and the renovation projects is that everyone will benefit from it.

Regular laborers are paid $17 Haitian dollars a day.  It is a blessing, considering the high rate of unemployment in the country.  It goes without saying that bringing tourists in northern Haiti is all the locals need to empower themselves.

Reconstruction's compliance

Hotels renovation, street and major highways repair work are all in compliance with the city and national laws.  The project is moving in full speed, and it has become a face lift for the entire northern Haiti.

The Citadelle

The Citadelle history
The Citadelle, nicknamed the eighth world wonder, is the number one fortress in the entire Caribbean  It matches the pyramid of Egypt and even surpasses the Great Wall of China.  What makes it famous is its historic significance, its location and its architecture.

Built in Milot by King Henri Christophe in the early 1800s, the Citadelle, equipped with mortars and cannons, served as a monitoring post.  The purpose was to counterattack or repulse any French’s return for the re-enslavement of the people of Haiti. 

 Citadelle, a world tourist attraction
Tourists visit the Citadelle as the Pyramid of Egypt or the Great Wall of China or any extraordinary tourist sites.  It is a historic monument that draws the attention and the curiosity of historians, researchers and regular tourists alike.

Location and importance

The Citadelle is located on the top of a hill.  Perched at thousands of feet high, it offers a panoramic view of most of the northern department.  In case another war broke out with the French, the Citadelle would give the indigenous troops the upper hand.  This particular fighting advantage would mean nothing today because of the French advanced air power. Now the French could sit at home, push a button and bomb the Citadelle to rubbles. 

The French never returned, and the Citadelle serves since then as the beauty of Haiti, a tourist site and a place where writers get their inspirations and historians a niche of facts and old history of the first black nation to defeat a colonial power to write about.

The Citadelle has an architecture so complex that it is hard to reproduce it.  It is the ancient design, the achievement of African former slaves. 

The Citadelle is a gold mine.  It is frequently visited, and it brings money to the government.  It also creates jobs and opportunities for the locals. 

Sans Souci Palace

Sans Souci Palace, the black race pride

Palace “Sans Souci” (Carefree Palace) was the residence of King Henri Christophe and his family.  Located in Milot, the Sans Souci was built to exhibit to the Europeans and the Americans the pride of not only Haitians but the capability of the entire black race.

King Henri Christophe was a genius builder.  He built the palace in the early 1800s.  The design of the palace is so fancy that it draws the attention of Americans and Europeans  

Sans Souci, an African archichectural heritage

One of Christophe’s advisors, Pompee Valentin Vastey, (Baron Valentin de Vastey), who said that the palace and its nearby church, "erected by descendants of Africans, show that we have not lost the architectural taste and genius of our ancestors who covered Ethiopia, Egypt, Carthage, and old Spain with their superb monuments

Sans Souci has been for the past 200 years one of the most remarkable architecture in the Caribbean.  It is today one of the most visited tourist sites in northern Haiti.  It offers scenery and history.  One person at the center of it all was Henri Christophe. 

A historical heritage
The edifice of Sans Souci becomes one of his many historic legacies for the entire island.  Tourists flock the area to see the palace, and locals enjoy opportunity to make money.  They sell their services, their carved objects, mahogany and whatever tourists want to buy from them.

Milot where the palace is located is 20 km from the second largest city of Cap-Haitien.  The ship docks at the port and tourists have to be driven to the location in about 30 minutes. 

Road and hotel constructions

“Arcotec 
Arcotec mission
Haiti S.A. is a major Haitian builder that provides building and construction related projects for

• businesses,
• organizations,
• government agencies,
• other builders and residential customers.

We construct complex projects within Haiti’s unforgiving landscape, which is prone to natural disasters.”

 Arcotec building contract
 Now the government hires Arcotec Haiti to build

• Oasis hotel
• Hotel Mont Joli in renovation
• Hotel Beck in renovation
• La Quisqueya Hotel
• The Paradise Hotel
• Road reconstruction Cap-Haitien-Milot
• Several road construction projects leading to all the touristic centers

It is a 5-year project that will prepare northern Haiti for the tourism business. In the meantime, this major construction creates jobs and helps fight poverty.  With the assistance of the national government, ten million dollars are allocated for the project.  Arcotec has a little problem getting construction permit on time.

Arcotec Haiti has already acquired license for every hotel and road construction in the entire northern region of the country.  Every construction site has engineers, architect, subcontractor and laborers busy every day at work. 

It is a very well organized project where every construction site works as a separate entity.  But at the end of the day, the head of every construction must report to the central construction management team.

The massive construction project creates some discontentment in the area.  Traffic is slow, and people don’t like that.  In some areas, traffic is rerouted to residential neighborhood, which upsets commuters and residents even more.

This major tourism project serves as a development for the entire country.  If every geographical part of the country was developing tourism like the north, Haiti would be well on its way to win the war on poverty.

Viertieres

 Defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in Haiti

Vertieres battle for independence

Vertieres is a war museum located about two miles from Cap-Haitien, the second largest city, located in the most northern tip of the island of Haiti.  This is where the Haitian indigenous troops defeated Napoleon Bonaparte army.  Tourists and researchers visit it out of historic curiosity or for their own work on a particular facet of Haitian history.

I can’t help talking about Vertieres without mentioning its historic importance and the heroes who made it what it is today.  The important people who made Viertieres are the following remarkable fighters:

• Jean-JacquesDessalines 
• ToussaintLouverture 
• Henri Christophe 
• Capois-La-mort 
• Alexandre Petion 
• Paul Prompt 
• Charles Daut, etc.

Vertieres had seen the fiercest battle of independence fought between the indigenous troops and the French.  As troops on both sides fought and died, some Haitian fighters were recognized for their bravery and their stern resistance.  Capois-La-Mort braved death so many times that two things happened: he was renamed Capois-La-Mort and his famous historic slogan is “bullets are nothing but dust.” 

The top two war heroes are Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture of whom I will talk about individually in separate blog posts.  Those two are the heroes of all heroes.  They are themselves Haiti in its entirety.  Alexandre Petion, a mulatto, often switches sides between the indigenous and the French troops, but at the end he became one of great fighters in the ranks of the Haitian fighters. 

Northern Haiti is good for tourism because it is considered the cradle of the Haitian history.  Most of the war fighters and leaders are from the area.  All the historic sites that draw tourists to northern Haiti are the ingenuity of them, for instance the fortress of the Citadelle, which is the work of King Henri Christophe.

Labadee

About Labadee, Haiti
Details and location

Labadee is a seaside community of Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti. It is located at the foot of Picolet mountain and right in the backyard of Haiti second largest and historic city of Cap-Haitien.  It is surrounded with corral reef and embellished with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 

Developed in the last 25 years, Labadee represents one of the world most visited tourist locations in the Caribbean.  What once was a rural area is now converted into resort hotels, shops, boutique, sightseeing, park and recreation and amusement center, etc.

Labadee is a gateway to many places in the Caribbean and the Americas.   It has become a central tourist destination before a cruise ship reaches any set destination.  Once in Labadee, tourists got so fascinated with its beauty and its charm that it is easy to forget that they are in Haiti. 

Labadee is a paradise on earth, which gives the illusion that it is not Haiti or a part of it because Haiti is known as a poor and underdeveloped country.  It is a fact, and I must add that I wish the entire island was as developed as Labadee.

Labadee is not freely open to the Haitian public.  The last time I visited it was in 2003.  The entrance fee was $30 then.  From I heard, today it is either a high entrance fee in US currency or it is closed to the Haitian public in general.  This link will take you to the topography of Haiti.

Describing Labadee is not enough to put it in the right perspective; one has to be there and see for oneself.  It is a fantastic place to visit and to revisit because it renews itself every time a tourist visits it. Here is more sightseeing in Labadee.

Preparations for tourism in northern Haiti

The city of Cap-Haitien

Making an area ready for tourism requires all kinds of preparations: 

• hotels, 
• the infrastructure, 
• the sites, 
• souvenir shops 
• and all the businesses that are involved in the tourism industry have to meet some legal norms.

Preparations for tourism environment
northern Haiti

Haiti highways are often neglected.  As a result, streets and major roads contain potholes.  Now the tourism industry must work in collaboration with the local government to provide funds for road repair.  It’s a long-term investment that has a long-term benefit.  The repaired road and streets will also facilitate commerce and free movement of traffic, commerce and locals.

The renovation of the attraction centers has a crucial importance.  Every site must reflect a tourist-like environment: decoration, monuments, painting and shops, etc.  The sites must be equipped with everything that is appealing and fascinating to tourists.

Tourists like to buy souvenirs from the country they visit to bring to their loved ones.  For example, museum, woven materials, mahogany and carved objects were some of the common items sold in the 70s and 80s that tourists usually purchased a lot.  Those items will be part of these new souvenir shops. Tourism venues in Haiti, then, are similar to those of Egypt Pyramid today.

With tourism come all kinds of businesses: vendors selling their products; retailers, guides, entrepreneurs, taxi drivers, hotels and everything else.  They must all comply with the laws of the tourism industry and of the state.  A specific location is assigned to each type of business; the rules governing how they do business must be respected.

Preparations are the first steps in having a successful tourism industry.  By implementing all the set regulations, northern Haiti will be well on its way of reliving the past touristic era of the 70s and 80s.

Things to see and do in northern Haiti

Northern Haiti is partly flat and partly mountainous.  Once in the mountain, it offers a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding areas.  It is an area that is rich in beauty, history and in sightseeings. 

Tourist attraction sites in northern Haiti are numerous:

• LabadeeLa Citadelle
• Cathedrale Notre Dame de Cap Haitien
• National History Park - Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers 
• Cathedrale de Milot 
• Mont Joli Hotel
• Vertieres

What makes northern Haiti special for tourism is the birthplace of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture, Capois-La Mort and the adoptive place of king Henri Christophe.  Those names are associated with fame.  They have made history at the international scale. 

Tourist locations like Sans souci palace, Milot Cathedrale, Vertieres and the Citadelle would not be historical monuments that draw tourists, had it not been for their heroism. Haitians are known to be quite hospitable to foreigners.  They are very friendly and ready to help with directions or sightseeing locations, etc. 

While in Haiti, there are always a lot of things one can do:

•  Sights & Landmarks 
•  Outdoor Activities
•  Tours & Activities 
•   Nature & Parks                                  
• Museums 
•  Shopping
•  Boat Tours & Water Sports
•  Fun & Games
•  Food & Drink
• Spas and Wellness

In the past, northern tourism blossomed.  I hope someone could use the idea of this blog to make it happen.  I also hope that tourists who pick the best attraction sites to maximize their chance of enjoyment and more things to see and do in the Caribbean island can visit this site:

Tourism in the 70s and the 80s in northern Haiti

                                                          

Tourists in Labadee, northern Haiti

Tourism implies touring or traveling from point A to point B with a purpose.   

• Tourists travel by sea or airplane to other countries in search of fun 
• and for the experience of new discoveries. 
• It could be national and international.  It’s a big business for developed countries 
• and a source of funding and development for even developed countries,  i.e.,
• the United States or European countries. 

Benefits of tourism in northern Haiti
city of Cap-Haitien

Any third-world country depends on tourism to stabilize its economy.  Haiti, as the poorest country in the American sphere, has a more crucial need for tourism.  Haiti’s economy is in a dire situation, not only because of corrupt leaders, but also because of the lack of tourism or its non-existence in the country.

Northern Haiti’s tourism was a booming business in the 70s and the 80s.  The city of Cap-Haitien depended on it for its survival.  Several taxi companies lined up the street adjacent to the dock; each one waited for its turn for a fare. 

Tour guides, dressed in their fancy uniforms, couldn’t wait to escort their guests to their locations.  Their job consisted of informing tourists about the culture, safety, weather and everything in general.  They were also ready to answer any questions pertinent to the local situation.

An open market full of hand-made items decorated the street alongside the dock and the street parallel to it. Merchandise was plentiful, and the tourists are fascinated by the view of splendid items like mahogany, painting and various wood-made objects, etc.  It was tempting, and the tourists couldn’t resist bargaining with the vendors. 

Unfortunately, mismanagement, violence and political instability derailed the tourism industry in Haiti.  If this blog could help bring back tourism in northern Haiti, I would realize that my effort is worthwhile.  This link will provide you with more details of ships docked in northern Haiti in the 70s and 80s ---

About Me

Hubert Odias

Profile
My name is Hubert Odias, and this blog is about tourism in northern Haiti.  My hometown is part of the vast northern region of Haiti.  As a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University, I am learning about blogging this semester.  Therefore, writing a blog, which is a big chunk of the class grade, is my assignment for this spring semester.

Why I choose northern Haiti

To complete this project, the class professor, Ms. Bonnie, asks every student to pick a topic of interest.  Automatically, I have decided to write this blog about tourism in Haiti.  It is a class project, I understand.  It may seem fictitious or imaginary to the audience; but it is something I wish I could materialize in the real world.  I envision the good that a tourism industry in northern Haiti would have done.  It’s not a fantasy, but trying to relive a reality that once existed.

Past tourism benefits northern Haiti

In the 70s and 80s, northern Haiti was a frequent tourist destination.  In my youth, cruise ships like Skyward and Boheme and others brought thousands of tourists to the city of Cap-Haitien. I witnessed then the benefits of tourism in the northern region of Haiti, especially in a poor country like Haiti.  Northern Haiti at that time was prosperous.  This is the reality I am reliving as if I am about to make it happen for real.  It is a way of expressing love for my country and a strong desire to contribute even through a university project.

I am novice in blogging.  I hope after this spring semester, I learn enough skills to excel in it.  With two classes left to graduate, I can’t wait to start knocking on doors of opportunity like Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, New York Times

Blog Mission

My blog is about bolstering tourism in the northern city of Cap-Haitien and its surrounding areas.  It is a region of the country that is rich in history and sightseeing. Labadee is already a major tourist destination, and the Citadelle to some degree.  My goal is to lure tourists to visit northern Haiti. 

The tourism industry has provided a guide with information and attraction, which include the following:

• weather essentials, 
• maps, 
• hotel locations, 
• and safety measures, etc.

With tourism come money, job opportunities and development.  It’s more like a give-and-take situation, an exchange of tourism services for cash that creates development opportunities in the country.  This undertaking will certainly be a source of jobs and new opportunities for vendors, and all the businesses in the surrounding area will be able to thrive. 

​Poverty affects a large part of the population.  This project is aimed at making a difference in the lives of the locals and in the entire northern Haiti.  The other key aspect of this blog is that I am inviting everyone to come in large number to visit northern Haiti to enjoy history and the beauty of the land with the goal of returning to this Caribbean paradise for more fun.  Talking of fun, here is one place where someone can have a very good time.