The situation in Haiti reviewed with the Tourism Secretary of State (SET)   The Destination DjonDjon group   Listing of Haitian Alternative Tourism Initiatives Back to Kiskeya Alternative

1- The Destination DjonDjon group

In July 1998 a group of  institutions involved in tourism (private, public, NGOs, etc.) held its first meeting, and constituted itself as the "initiative and reflection group on alternative tourism in Haiti".

This was made possible thanks to a coordinating effort of a french NGO present in Haiti, the AFVP, that conducted a study on tourism as an alternative for community development in Haiti,

The group original objectives are:

• build a relation ship between Haitian tourism actors
• promote and diffuse information on alternative tourism in Haiti
• work for the development of an "adapted" tourism in Haiti
• help its members for successful development
• make propositions to concerned state authorities

This groups has been meeting and consolidating, and as a first result is organizing a big training workshop in port au Prince in October 1999, with support and teachers from Haiti and (French) Guadeloupe. The group adopted the name of "Destination Djondjon" in March 1999. The djondjon is a mushroom used in typical haitian cuisine.

Kiskeya Alternative have been participating since the beginning in the group, actually hosts its web site and hope to provide a selected group of its members benefits of its commercialization and promotion program.

For more information consult the Destination Djondjon web site you'll find listing of initiatives and members, meeting reports and information on the projected training workshop.

(Source: a meeting in July 1999 within the Tourism Secretary of State (SET) of Haiti.)

• tourism income represents less 1% PIB (20% in other Caribbean Countries)
• 145.000 tourist in 1995 60% of Haitian Diaspora (1.9 M in Dominican Rep)
• around 800 rooms available today (DR 40.000)
• average US$ 300 spent daily by visitors (compare to 800 in Dominican Rep)


problems:

• negative image (political crisis, extreme povrety ,violence…)
• no clear policy nor institutional capacity fro tourism development
• no or bad basic infrastructures (roads, energy, telecommunications, etc.,)


The Master Plan

 
Actually this official institution is in a continuous organization process. Their development policy is set in a big study the "Plan Directeur du Tourisme" (1996 - UNDP financed) that has two main directions:

• prepare conditions for important investments in 5 development poles, as specific coastal areas (Cote des Arcadins), and tours and circuits inland..
• elaborate investment regulations and all a frame to give legal and financial guaranties to investors.

This plan has only one paragraph where it mentions ecotourism.

Some of the actions actually undertaken. (August 1999)

(of our interest, more is done but we did not inquire)

 
• They are actually beginning the implement a national survey and a data base with all tourism businesses existing, and wish to establish a categorization (star) system (****) for hotels.
• They have rewritten and re-systematized the "norms and procedures" to process the authorization request to operate tourism business in Haiti. And are preparing a specific one for small businesses.
• There will soon be another study on global situation of tourism in Haiti, financed by the European Union.


SET on Eco and Alternative Tourism

  They do not have any ecotourism permanent structure, but are very interested in following up developments of the Destination DjonDjon group, and offering them some help, as they are viewing alternative, small tourism units, as a very possible alternative for Haiti.
They plan to create a Investment and Guaranty found for tourism SME's


SET and Certification network

  As for sustainability certification and quality, they do not have any information, process, program, but they seem interested by the Kiskeya Alternative Offer to participate in a certification network. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry does have some standards set for hotels. The SET does not have any inspectors.

(Also see KAD certiftification program)

Kiskeya Destinación Alternativa Turismo sostenible y comercio electrónico, proyecto piloto de Fundación Taigüey. P.O.Box 109-Z Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana  Tel.: 1-809-537 89 77 Fax: 1-809-221 42 19 E-mail: kad@kiskeya-alternative.org-- http://www.kiskeya-alternative.org

 http://kiskeya-alternative.org/haiti/index.html   |   updated August 8 1999