Wednesday, Stéphanie Balmir Villedrouin, the Minister of Tourism and Frederic Bolduc, Special Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS), proceeded to the signing of an agreement for the organization of an awareness campaign on the importance of tourism in Haiti.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on the development potential of tourism as a vehicle for improving the socio-economic life in Haiti through programs oriented towards the promotion of sustainable development. The campaign also want to be an incentive to the practice of internal tourism.

The regions of Port-au-Prince, Milot, Saut d'eau, Port-salut and of Jacmel, are the main areas targeted under the agreement, which is estimated to U.S. $ 220,000.

The various actions of this agreement will be based, on inter alia :

• The recruitment and training of coordinators in Tourism Awareness ;

• The organization of competitions on tourism for schools and educational institutions ;

• The organization of guided tours for school children, pupils and students in the sites selected ;

• The animation of awareness activities for communities living around tourist sites ;

• The creation, distribution and dissemination of promotional materials of sensitizations on tourism in the media ;

• The organization of television and radio programs for the promotion of tourism in Haiti and the sensitizations to the protection of tourist sites ;

• The animation of seminars of awareness to tourism for cultural workers.

This awareness campaign falls within the framework of the will of the Ministry of Tourism to bring the population to develop a positive attitude in regard to the development of the tourism industry in Haiti. The campaign will cover the period from September 2013 to August 2014 and will receive technical support from the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

HL/ HaitiLibre