Can Digital Nomads Be the Solution for Haiti's Economy?
Haiti was once considered the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. In 2010, when a massive earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, the island suffered from a huge setback. The aftereffects were devastating! Around 300,000 people died and a million lost their homes due to the 2010 earthquake. The infrastructure was shattered, and those who survived fled the country for greener pastures. As a result, the leftover highly trained people that Haiti had were chasing the American Dream. The workforce didn’t survive, and that was the end of Haiti’s economy.
Today, nearly 3 out of 5 Haitians live under the poverty line. Around a quarter of its 10 million citizens live in abject poverty. Somehow, unemployment has become a way of life.
So, how can the poorest country build its economy and create local opportunities?
The Answer: Creating Room for Digital Nomads
First, let’s talk about what is a “digital nomad.”
This is the term given to a remote worker who travels to different locations for work. With the help of modern technology, they work remotely from hotels, coffee shops, co-working spaces, and libraries. The two gadgets they always carry are a Wi-Fi-enabled smartphone and a laptop.
So, what does this have to do with Haiti’s economy?
Well, countries like Barbados and Costa Rica are creating nomad visas, allowing nomadic travelers to stay one to two times every year. Introducing this visa is expected to bring revenue. Harry B. Joseph, President of HBJ Development and Management, believes that this could be the solution that brings Haiti next to other successful countries.
However, for this idea to be successful, the Haitian government needs to improve the country’s condition.
The Haitian government needs to create stability using a comprehensive plan that makes provisions for maintaining law and order for nomadic travelers, a new building code that focuses on buildings that can withstand seismic activity, and infrastructure for railroads, tramways, and roads.
Haiti straddles four tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur alongside the boundaries of these plates that make up the crust of the earth. Known as faults, these borders are connected. Since Haiti is in the crossing of the North Hispaniola micro-plates, Hispaniola and Caribbean Plate, and the Gonâve, it’s “caught in a crunch.” The sudden release of energy that travels through the crust makes the two plates grind against each other and cause earthquakes. Due to this reason, a standardized building code is necessary to assure digital nomads they will be safe while living in Haiti.
Violence, lawlessness, and instability are at their peak in Haiti. Many issues need to be addressed, most important among them being human rights, healthcare, availability of water and food, improving the country’s literacy rate, curbing and ending abuses by security forces, and securing women’s and girls’ rights. Haiti will be able to create opportunities for nomadic travelers only when these issues are addressed.
The Future of Digital Nomads
Agriculture is the backbone of the nations’ wealth. However, it’s time for Haiti to look for new revenue avenues. Nomadlist.com founder Peter Levels believes that by 2035, there will be at least one billion nomads. The movement that started in 2010 is now growing by leaps and bounds, and changing ways of working are a major contributing factor. The average remote worker earns between $50,000 and $100,000 annually.
Harry believes that since people who work from home will be relocating both domestically and abroad, Haiti needs to make efforts to enhance its telecommunication and transportation networks. This is a great way for the island to create programs that attract remote workers and, in turn, help strengthen their economy.