9803: Some notes

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com
 The Plaza Hotel which was originally The Holiday Inn Plaza, did 
not close but only lost its right to continue to be called a Holiday Inn 
hotel. This occurred while they were constructing a new wing and had nothing 
to do with "political instability spooking international tourism."  In fact, 
despite "political instability" every major hotel in Haiti (Villa Creole, 
Kinan, El Rancho, Montana and maybe more) have significantly expanded in the 
last couple of years and continue to expand, all with new beautiful wings!  
Also, I can't resist mentioning that this is this first time I have seen the 
1986 ouster of Duvalier referred to as the "bloody ouster."  That term is 
usually used for the 1991 coup d'etat.  Also, I believe that the new Hilton 
hotel will be used heavily by those tourists and diaspora who are en route to 
the countryside for either tourism or to visit families.  By time people 
arrive at the Port--au-Prince international airport they are often too late 
to make connecting flights to the countryside.  Instead of venturing into 
Port-au-Prince just for the night (and sometimes in the dark, for example Air 
France arrives in the evening) and have to travel all the way back through 
traffic in the morning, they can stay right there in the area of the airport 
and go a few steps to the domestic airport to make their connection first 
thing in the morning.  The domestic flights and tourism are expanding 
throughout the country so this hotel is right on time!   In terms of tourism, 
Haiti does receive a lot of businesspeople, delegations, volunteer missions 
and conference attenders, not to mention its regular niche tourists who are 
interested primarily in its culture.  The Olaffson seems to attract the 
majority of the niche travelers and has also undergone some refurbishing in 
recent years. For further info on the Hilton Hotel go to the National Palace 
website and through a word search for "hotel" you'll find both a note to the 
press and the details of the contract.
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