Tourism in Haiti

You might think that “Where is Haiti?” “Does it exist?” Even those who know Haiti, it might be recognized as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. However, Haiti has a potential for development of tourism industry because it is a country in Caribbean. We introduce such a tourism situation in Haiti this time.

According to the statistics by The World Bank, the number of international inbound tourists to Haiti in 2012 was 295,000 while that in Dominican Republic who is Haiti’s neighboring country was about 15 times (4,563,000 visitors ) (*1). The reason why Haiti is so less attractive is that other governments do not recommend people to visit Haiti due to deterioration of security and political instability. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan decides in oversea safety homepage “It is recommended to prolong to your trip ” in the capital Port au Prince. It is desirable to make sure information and ensure security when you come to Haiti. 

Then, which sites in Haiti people visit? First, Citadelle Laferrière which is world heritage site in North is popular for the travelers. The massive stone structure is said to have been built between 1805 and 1817 to prevent the invasion of France. Moreover, tourists can ride horse to go up to structure from parking owing to steep grade. In addition, Jacmel is considered for inscription on the world heritage list. The city still has historical French colonial architecture that dates back from 18 century, and we can fell such an atmosphere. We can also enjoy seeing coast as the city faces sea. These two sites are located in North and South Haiti where it is comfortable to visit because it is more stable situation.

【Citadelle Laferrière】



【Tourists go up to structure in Citadelle Laferrière by taking a horse】



【Sea in Jacmel】



(*1) International tourism, number of arrivals. (The World Bank).


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