MIAMI – Tourism, development and business leaders are hailing a difficult decision by Royal Caribbean Cruises, one of Haiti’s largest foreign investors, to resume calls on Labadee, Haiti, as the Caribbean nation battles to recover from last week’s devastating earthquake that might have claimed the lives of more than 200,000 citizens of the poorest country in the hemisphere.
“We may have had our differences of opinion about the true value of the cruise industry to Caribbean destinations – but there is absolutely no doubt in our minds of the enormous economic and psychological value of Royal Caribbean’s resumed cruises to Haiti,” said Lelei LeLaulu, a director of the Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx).
François Guillaume Jr., executive director of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, who survived the quake after leaving the now flattened Hotel Montana minutes before it collapsed, asserted, “we need the cruise industry more than ever to continue visiting Haiti.”
Guillaume noted in the wake of such a complex emergency, “We need to pursue all avenues of economic development and I support the stance of the cruise industry not only to sail to our shores, but for delivering important disaster relief assistance.”
Guillaume was in Haiti encouraging investors to pursue economic development opportunities in the country. While Guillaume and another business associate escaped the quake, rescuers continue to look for his American colleague Leroy Strickland who was at the hotel at the time of the disaster.
Former Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Senator Allen Chastanet, Saint Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, said “Hundreds of people are earning money from the resumed cruises and thousands more family members and local businesses are benefiting from this infusion of cruise company cash.”
Minister Chastanet, who has worked in travel and tourism marketing and development, saw another plus for resumed cruises so soon after the earthquake: “Importantly for the devastated people of Haiti, the resumption of the cruises is a huge morale booster because it signals to the world that ‘we are back in business'”.
Meanwhile, LeLaulu further stated: “The cruises are businesses, sure, but remember these businesses were quick to respond. Carnival Cruise Lines unhesitatingly gave US $5 million to Haiti relief, the most generous corporate donation so far and one which will spur other companies to contribute.”
Taking an active part in the relief efforts, Royal Caribbean is donating more than US $2 million, and its profits from the Labadee stops.
