Port-Salut - Haiti Observer Blog

In the South Department of Haiti, along its shoreline, lies the sublime beauty of Port-Salut, a hidden treasure. The town was the birth place of both former President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and Prime Minister, Jean-Marie Cherestal.

Although Port-Salut is considered one of the most appealing places on Haiti's tourist map to visit, it has not been developed enough to encourage more tourist dollars to be spent there. The World Tourist Development has largely ignored the potential of Port-Salut to offer more than just its sliver-sand beaches, which can be found anywhere on the island. Rather for eco-tourists to discover the rich variety of its flora- and fauna-proliferated terrain is where the town needs to head in having its unique ecology promoted. The Haitian Diaspora is starting to recognize possibly the most appealing tourist destination in the South Department. Port-Salut's cleanliness and its warm-hearted people residing there add to its attraction.

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Tourism has been on a substantial descent over the last 20 years. But one series of events, the Fête champêtre, continues to give hope to a struggling industry as tourists, local, from the Diaspora, and international, flock Haiti to witness the countryside festival.

One of the main avenues for entertainment to the 18th century elite, a Fête champêtre (a country feast or pastoral festival) was a type of garden party much loved at court. With pretensions to simplicity, the Fête champêtre was patronized by the well dressed, entertained by musicians hidden in the trees, as they enjoyed the beauty of landscaped park.

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Port-Salut is the Haitian tourist industry's best-kept secret. Located on the southern-most coastal part of the Tiburon Peninsula, it lies close to the western tip of it. Ironically, though it contains paved routes, very few tourists know of its existence. Beaches that embrace the village are made of white sand, fine and almost sugar-like in texture. Favorite beaches of the Haitian residents living there include Plage Macaya and Kalico.
A famous personage, who was born, raised, and resides there is former Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Electrical service is not dependable in Port-Salut and the natives retire and arise, according to the sun's setting and rising.

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Arniquet is a cityship located in the Port-Salut Arrondissement, under the Sud Department. With an estimated population of 8,000, it lies 583 feet above sea level. Located on the south-western part of the Tiburon Peninsula, it faces the Caribbean Sea. In its time zone, the sun in Arniquet shines nearly 12 hours a day, from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm.

Like most small villages across Haiti, Arniquet has no paved roads, no air strip, and electricity is infrequently delivered. Because of this undependable service, the villagers retire when the sun sets and get up when the sun rises.

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The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has selected five top students, who have graduated from the Hotel School of Haiti (HSH), to train front-of-the-house hotel employees, in a three-month long vocational program. They will instruct well over a thousand hotel service employees in Les Cayes, Camp-Perrrin, Jacmel, and North Departments. The classes will be conducted in Port-Salut. The new trainers have all received degrees in Hotel Management and Tourism and will continue their studies at Dominican University in Fall 2012.

The HSH, shuttered since the January 2010 earthquake, began classes again in January 2012. To raise the training program standards, the MOT, in an on-going partnership with the Institute of Tourism and Hotel of Quebec, will introduce new study materials at an August conference for instructors and school officials of the HSH.

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