a1182: What if? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Hyppolite Pierre <hpierre@irsp.org>

What if suddenly, the Haitian Government (GOH) decided on a new economic
stimulus approach which this time, includes the Diaspora? What if, rather
than paying lobbyists to argue their case before Washington and the IC, the
GOH decided for instance, to launch a simple program which they call,
Diaspo-Tourism?

They could perhaps try these approaches:
1-Have government ministers and officials like consuls, go to Haitian radio
stations and television programs like Moment Créole in New York, or stations
in Florida, Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, etc. Those officials could
explain the project in simple terms and create the enthusiasm for it.
2-Build rudimentary infrastructure like dirt roads so Diaspo tourists can go
to and visit places like Citadelle, Bois Caiman, the 365 doors palace,
Saut-d'Eau, etc.
3-Help peasants (peyzan) to transform their meager homes or part of it into
Bed and Breakfast; teach them through the Health Ministry about health
precautions, etc.
4-Make a deal with either American Airlines, or some other airline carrier
to transport Haitians (or others interested) to come and visit Haiti at a
reasonable rate (i.e. less than the $450 round trip average).
5-Make it a package so that one pays a maximum of 1,000 US dollars for one
week, with meal, transportation, etc.

The State could get a cut from the Airline carrier. From the price of the
ticket could be included all airport and ground transportation fees. The
State could preferably decide to use an airline carrier that is trying to
get into the Haitian market, since it has a guaranteed number of passengers
and does not have to worry about American Airlines' monopoly. Let's hope
that by then there still is some 500 dollars left from that 1,000. Could the
Bed and Breakfast owner still be guaranteed a good say, $150 (about HT $750)
for that week, which would mean that the diaspo-tourist still has 350$US at
hand for the entire week to spend, say in Mirebalais (about HT $1,750).
Could that be a good idea?

After all, most of us don't know Haiti much, besides our P-au-P, or
Cap-Haïtien, or wherever else we come from plus some other cities or towns
in the proximity. We would be that way encouraging the local economy in many
ways. We would become the new tourists in our own country, eco-tourism or
not. We would not be as demanding as the foreign tourist whose expectations
are probably much higher than ours. More importantly, we would learn more
about our own country and in the process, some of us would even be willing
to invest in some province that we visited (small businesses would begin to
thrive anyways in those regions).

Let's face it. It is highly unlikely that those loans from the IMF and the
World Band and IDB will be disbursed any time soon. Worse, foreign tourism
cannot really take off in Haiti for the next few years, in light of the
political dead end. Although I would personally like to greet Brooke Burke
from E! television channel when she gets off the airplane in Haiti, it is
quite unlikely that she will be going down there any time soon. If the
Diaspora was able to encourage Aristide's return to power through its
steadfast refusal to accept Cédras & Co., can't we again prove it that
slowly but surely, we can help revive the economy?

Hyppolite Pierre
IRSP
http://www.irsp.org