13446: Labrom posts re 13434 visas for foreigners (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: jacqualine labrom <voyageslumiere@haitelonline.com>

There's been a lot of representation from travel agents etc. regarding this.
I was at a seminar on Tourism for the Diaspora on the Thursd. and Friday
before the 'new visa thing' came out on the Monday. Also attending the
seminar was the Min. of Tourism, Min. of MHAVE, the Director of the Airport,
and none of them mentioned it - because I found out later - they only knew
on the Monday like the rest of the world!!

It does appear that although Americans will have to pay US$100, other
nationalities may only have to pay $60 or $70.

According to the Min. of Tourism, when the visa necessity was dropped in
Oct. 1999 at the encouragement of the Cuban tourism people - in order to
facilitate and encourage more tourists to come to Haiti - this was not a Law
which was changed, it was just an Administrative procedural change. So
therefore the Min. of Interior could reinstitute it without passing it by
the Government.

My point about this though is that prior to Oct. 1999 several countries did
not have to have a visa - incl. Britain, and of course the States. I am
pushing my British Vice Consul to make a representation that we should not
therefore have to have one now.  I'm sorry for the Americans, but I don't
think there is any chance that you will not have to have one - as the price
of the American Visa for the Haitians went up, and there is some element of
tit for tat.

So the arguments go on as do the representations to the Government. Any
information I get I will pass on and I hope the other Corbeteers will do the
same.

This is going to affect Tourism even more - coupled with the bad reports
from the State Department and the other Embassy websites, tourism is going
to be killed dead. Its interesting however that this is happening when
Leslie Voltaire, MHAVE is making a big push for Tourism from the Diaspora
and many of these have other nationality passports. I've got a group of
Haitians coming in in Nov. for a wedding and they have American, French and
Italian passports!!!

Jacqui Labrom
Voyages Lumiere

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