The Ministry of Tourism and the General consulate of Haiti in Miami started a mass media campaign by purchasing a billboard placement on the I-95 highway in the Miami Dade county area. The billboard invites people to come live the Haitian experience by visiting or investing in Haiti. According to a Billboard placement professional the cost of this campaign could range from $1,500 – $30,000 per ad per 4 week period.
The presence of this billboard emphasizes a policy switch of the Martelly/Lamothe government from the previous administration. The former minister of tourism, Patrick Delatour, when ask why Haiti wasn’t doing advertisement internationally, previously responded « we can only advertise Haiti abroad when the country meets the condition to receive tourist, we want visitors to have the best experience ».
This advertisement must be a sign that the current Haitian government is confident about the ability of Haiti to receive tourist.
In fact, the tourism industry has evolved, more than 1,000 rooms are in the pipeline, 7 new hotels are being constructed. International Brands like Marriot, Best Western, and Occidental Hotels & Resorts are now present in Haiti.
This campaign is the first step in building a new image in Haiti. Haitian American are welcoming positively this advertisement.
« Finally, an advertisement for Haiti, Ads for the Bahamas or Jamaica destination are not going to be the only one to be displayed on U.S. highways », noted an Haitian American to Haiti Press Network.
