New agreement outlines mutual support partnership to boost tourism arrivals to Haiti.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Sunrise Airways, Haiti’s newest homegrown airline, and the Haiti Ministry of Tourism announced that they have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to boost tourism arrivals to Haiti.
Under terms of the MOU, Sunrise Airways and the Ministry of Tourism will work in close collaboration to host familiarization trips to Haiti undertaken by international travel journalists, travel agents, business development partners, and other interested parties keen on promoting or investing in the country’s tourism industry.
Philippe Bayard, President of Sunrise Airways, commented on the MOU, saying: “Tourism is already an important part of our improving economy, but the potential exists now more than ever for Haiti to stand up and be counted among the leading leisure travel destinations in the Caribbean. Haiti is most certainly open for tourism business. We at Sunrise Airways are excited to take an active role in proving just that to the world.”
Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin, Haiti’s Minister of Tourism, echoed Mr. Bayard’s sentiments, saying: “Just as we’ve built tremendous momentum in growing Haiti’s tourism sector in recent months, so too has Sunrise Airways made great strides in elevating our aviation sector, opening up new markets in neighboring countries and earning raves with their professional service and staunch commitment to safety. We couldn’t be happier than to partner with them to continue moving Haiti forward.”
New hotel construction and redevelopment programs have combined with airport expansion initiatives, new hospitality education and training programs, the advent of a dedicated tourism police force, and the opening of several new visitor attraction centers at key historical sites to revitalize Haiti’s tourism industry. All told, current tourism sector investment by the Government of Haiti and foreign investors exceeds US$258 million.
Sunrise Airways launched scheduled passenger service on December 20, 2012 with one domestic route operating between Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien. From there, the airline expanded overseas, launching its first international route to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos in August 2013. Additional international routes to Holguin, Cuba and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic soon followed in October and November, respectively.
In addition to inaugurating new routes across the Western Caribbean in 2013, Sunrise Airways also achieved several significant corporate milestones underscoring the airline’s commitment to safety and customer satisfaction. Most notably, in July 2013 Sunrise Airways became the first-ever Haitian airline to join the Flight Safety Foundation, an international non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide impartial, independent, expert safety guidance and resources for the aviation and aerospace industry.
Sunrise Airways is also the only Haitian airline with its own dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Photo caption: Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
