More than two years after a powerful earthquake killed 230,000 people in Haiti
and left many more homeless, the Caribbean country continues to battle despair —
yet one tiny peninsula on the country’s north coast serves as a tropical oasis
for travelers and an example of the tourism potential Haiti has to offer.
Labadee draws more than 600,000 visitors a year because of Royal Caribbean
Cruise Lines.
In 1985, the cruise line decided to lease the peninsula to give passengers a
private beach destination as part of their western Caribbean cruises.
Since then, the company has added a large pier for their huge cruise ships,
along with all the infrastructure and excursions to provide visitors with a day
at the beach.
It’s a stark contrast to the tent cities and desperate conditions faced by
hundreds of thousands of Haitians still trying to recover from the 2010
earthquake that devastated much of the country, particularly the capital of
Port-au-Prince.
International aid agency Oxfam has blamed government indecision for keeping
Haiti’s recovery on hold. Haiti has a population of more than 9.7 million
people.
The country has a history of political violence including a coup in 2004 that
forced the resignation and exile of president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The
current president, Michel Martelly, was elected in 2011.
Years ago in the travel industry used to send people to Haiti, in fact, there
was a very well known Club Med there that a lot of people vacationed at.
Tour operators hope there could be potential for tourists to travel to Haiti in
the future.
Haiti is absolutely beautiful, but of course we all know the turmoil they’re
going through now, it has made it a place that isn’t quite right for
visitors just yet. But we hope it will be once again.
For cruise ship passengers arriving in Labadee there’s no indication of the
problems elsewhere in the country. Instead, they’re greeted by warm, blue
waters, and a backdrop of mountains and lush forests.
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc.
150 S. University Dr. Ste E,
Plantation, FL 33324 - USA
Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954
252 3945
EMail:
sales@cruiseco.com |
