Haiti Launches First-Ever Tourism Ads In Tri-State Area

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Haiti has begun what officials said was the first TV advertising campaign aimed at encouraging Americans to vacation in the poor Caribbean country.

The ads are directed at residents of the Tri-State Area.

The country's tourism ministry and a U.S. cable provider have developed TV spots and a Cablevision destination channel dubbed ``Haiti: Experience It!'' to woo Tri-State Area residents.

Haitian President Michel Martelly's administration hopes foreign visitors can help revive the economy in the country of 10 million people, where most adults lack steady work and survive on less than $2.50 a day.

There are ambitious plans to develop some coastal areas into resorts.

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