Île à Vache: Tourism Development Proposal

The planning ministry's tourism development proposal for Île à Vache, the island off Les Cayes designated for a large state-backed tourism project.

The proposal describes the island as one of the last treasure islands left in the Caribbean, natural, untrodden and unexploited, and sets out nine guiding principles drawn from sustainable tourism: respect for cultural integrity; transport marked by the absence of cars; care for the environment; a community spirit; building for the long term; the pursuit of energy independence; the durability of the tourism product; the equitable distribution of returns; and a facilitating role for the state in synergy with the private sector. It segments the market, beginning with explorers, both amateur and professional.

The Île à Vache project drew sustained protest over land tenure on the island, so the proposal the state published is the primary document on what was intended.