Haiti and Royal Caribbean - Vacation with Death Next Door
"Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most," John Weis recently told Travel Weekly.
As overseer of Labadee operations for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), Weis’s words may be sentimental, but there are those who aren’t willing to overlook the fact that the cruise line continues to ship vacationers to the private beach of Labadee in Haiti, where disaster struck only a few hundred miles away just days ago.
Yet, the fact remains that RCCL has provided not only relief for the devastated people of Haiti (RCCL is donating 100% of proceeds from its calls in Labadee for the effort), but a large portion of investment for the island destination, bringing in more than 10 million tourists who have spent nearly $100 million there. According to Weis, Labadee employs somewhere from 230 to 240 people, while tourist-affected businesses range from hair braiding services to the straw market.
In addition to the proceeds, RCCL made a commitment of $1 million toward the relief campaign and have loaded supplies on several of their vessels to be donated such as rice, dried beans, dried milk, water and various canned items. The contribution of $1 million will support organizations such as Food For The Poor and the Pan American Development Foundation.
Still, despite the aid that RCCL has provided, there remain some who believe more can be done. Comments to news stories everywhere have many suggestions for RCCL to up the ante on relief efforts, some questioning why the cruise line does not offer up their vessels as dwellings for rescue workers or even as hospital quarters. These ideas are particularly reminiscent of Carnival Cruise Line’s decision to use their ships to house refugees affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Scant but prominent amidst suggestions is the idea that RCCL should offer their passengers a chance to volunteer in Haiti, akin to the idea of “voluntourism” in other countries such as Africa and South America. While there may be a significant portion of those who wish to spend the bulk of their vacation helping others, many articles have voiced concern over sending unskilled travelers who may end up being more of hindrance than a help. In addition to these concerns, liability and risk factors make it even more difficult to send amateur volunteers, no matter their good intentions, to be of aid.
Even then, opponents to RCCL’s decision to return to Haiti to benefit the Haitian economy have doubts on the lure of the tourist destination. After all, many argue, who would want to vacation in a place where not far away, civilians lie dead in the street and others are starving and homeless?
The situation, while it stands alone in casualties and location, is not unlike that of the tsunami disaster that hit Southeast Asia. Labadee, a peninsula with five beaches approximately five hours from the Haitian capital, is a pristine area with a 12-foot-high fence around its perimeter. Vacationers continued to enjoy their leisure and luxury near the beach resorts affected by the 2004 tidal wave disaster, and the same can be said of those visiting Labadee. Following that logic, those who disapprove of visits to any part of Haiti should cancel their trips to other tourist destinations on the island shred with the Dominican Republic, such as Punta Cana.
For now, perhaps its best to maintain optimism that RCCL is doing its best and should not have to bear the burden of being the one and only hope for relief aid in Haiti. For those who would like to donate to the effort, there are a number of organizations to reach out to, including but not limited to UNICEF, Red Cross, Direct Relief International, and Mercy Corp.
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MIAMI (January 23, 2010) - 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.
The Caribbean Media Exchange provides a neutral platform for the continuing discussion of the key linkages between media, government, private sector and civil society in ensuring tourism enhances the health, environment, education, culture, and wealth of destinations in a climate-friendly fashion.
SANTO DOMINGO, Jan. 21, 2010 -- The Dominican Republic (DR) Ministry of Tourism assures visitors that all of its cities, tourism and resort areas are conducting normal business operations. Also, the DR government, consulates and embassies are working diligently with the international community on Haiti earthquake relief. Millions of Dominicans have donated time, money, supplies and expertise to help Haiti in these critical hours of need.
All of the tourist areas, hotels, resorts, airports and seaports are open and receiving visitors. The DR experienced no damage from the quake or its aftershocks. Major tourism regions Punta Cana and La Romana on the East Coast, as well as Samaná and Puerto Plata along the North Coast are welcoming winter season tourists from all over the world.
The southern region of the DR has been a stable staging area for the Haiti relief effort and a reliable alternative route into Haiti. Three key airports and a roadway in the DR’s southern region are being used to receive international relief supplies through mostly rural areas of the DR not frequented by visitors. The DR government has stationed military, police and immigration officials along the DR border reinforcing relief efforts to help Haiti. The DR has strong border control permitting only crossings for humanitarian reasons, while also sending critical supplies, equipment, medical experts and millions of dollars for food and relief kitchens directly to Port-au-Prince.