ABSTRACT
Voodoo is intimately linked to the culture and history of the Caribbean island of Haiti, yet paradoxically Haitians are predominantly Christians. It is said that Haitians are 80 per cent Catholic and 100 per cent Voodooist and religion is the mainstay of Haitian society. It is perhaps all that remains for the poor of a country that has been ravaged by centuries of political and economic unrest. And at a time when many of the Caribbean islands are prospering from a buoyant tourism industry, Haiti is still very much seen as an insecure destination (Higate and Henry 2009) and a place where the worst is always likely to happen (Bonnet 2010). Our objective is to establish a clear link between Voodoo events and tourism and identify if the two are compatible. Developing tourism offerings to include Voodoo events that are based on staged ceremonies could provide Haiti with a unique selling proposition that will enable the country to redevelop its tourism industry and stabilise its fragile economy. What must also be considered is that Voodoo emerged as the result of the introduction of slavery to the island. While the religion contributes significantly to the Haitian cultural identity, it is also linked to servility. The development of service industries like tourism is also reinforcing the notion of Haitians as servile and the introduction of Voodoo events, where visitors will pay to attend a service, may reinforce this.
