Carnival Corp. plans to invest up to $70 million to build a cruise port facility on an offshore island in Haiti, once a pirate hideaway in the 17th century.
The development on Tortuga island will be the "largest cruise industry investment ever made in Haiti," according to David Candib, Carnival’s vice president of development and operations.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed for the project which will employ up to 900 people.
"We are working together with the Haitian government to build Tortuga into a popular and economically sustainable Caribbean destination and will create a tremendous economic impact for the people of Haiti," Candib said.
The company has not yet disclosed details on what the facility will include.
Carnival’s project will rival Royal Caribbean’s facility at Labadee.
Royal Caribbean spent about $50 million developing Labadee which features a private beach, water sports and zip lining for cruisers.
Tortuga currently has a residential population of around 26,000.
Carnival has built several cruise terminals from scratch in the Caribbean, and its latest venture – Amber Cove Cruise Center in Puerto Plata, Domican Republic – is slated to open next year.
