In 35 years, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) has invested more than $100 million in the Labadee stopover, which has become one of the favorite destinations for the company's cruise passengers. Société Labadie Nord (Solano), created in 1985, manages Labadee's private port of call, rented by the cruise company, Royal Caribbean International.

In 2009, RCI completed the construction of a 244 m long wharf as part of a Public/Private partnership with the Haitian State thanks to an investment of more than $34 million. This quay provides access to the largest cruise ship in the fleet, with more than 6,300 passengers. With the increase in the carrying capacity, the number of boats could reach up to 160 in some years and the number of cruise passengers exceeded 721,000 in 2019 (according to the December 2019 bulletin of the Association of Industries of Haiti).

265 people are directly employed locally by Solano in the field and 50 expatriates. Up to 700 other people are impacted by economic activity : troubadours, folk troupes, craftsmen, merchants, hair braiders, but also guards, staff responsible for security, maintenance and service on the beach and on the quay for disembark and embark passengers. All employees come from villages in northern communes.

In addition, since 2008, several hundred Haitians have been recruited in Haiti to work aboard Royal Caribbean International boats.

The benefits for the community and the region are above all economic, but also social. In recent years, Solino/Royal Caribbean have invested more than 2.5 million dollars through the Solano Foundation (created in 2006) in various projects and initiatives for the benefit of villages in the area, such as the École Nouvelle Royal Caribbean which welcomes 313 children. The Foundation has also enabled the realization of public toilets, fountains, markets, bridges, sponsorship of sports activities, patronal feasts or carnival, road infrastructure, internships for students, etc.

Labadee reports to the Haitian state in tax 12 US dollars per cruise passenger, an average income of more than 700,000 US dollars monthly for the Treasury.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23656-haiti-politic-inauguration-of-the-new-road-cap-haitian-labadee.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19573-haiti-cruise-a-first-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13743-haiti-tourism-connecting-artisans-to-tourists-in-the-north.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11974-haiti-tourism-increase-of-the-number-of-cruise-passengers-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11733-haiti-tourism-second-largest-cruise-port-project-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-10859-haiti-tourism-things-are-moving-everywhere.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-10136-haiti-tourism-facilitate-the-movement-of-royal-caribbean-tourists.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8434-haiti-tourism-new-cruises-haiti-on-the-itinerarie-of-quantum-of-the-seas.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-8001-haiti-tourism-2-days-tour-of-vice-president-of-the-royal-caribbean-cruise-line-in-the-north.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-5546-haiti-tourism-the-royal-caribbean-cruise-line-is-interested-by-our-historic-sites.html

HL/ HaitiLibre