Revue Leadership, Aménagement, Tourisme et Développement Durable

This first issue of Leadership, Planning, Tourism and Sustainable Development examines the concrete conditions for more balanced territorial development in Haiti, starting from a central observation: territories do not develop only through plans, but through the quality of their local institutions, the capacity to finance public action, and the density of links between economic, social and political actors.

The contributions first highlight the financial core of decentralization. Through an assessment of the financial health of local governments (2015–2022) and an analysis of the financing of municipalities in Jacmel, this issue examines the viability, flexibility, and vulnerability of these communities, while also underscoring the effects of persistent territorial disparities. The texts connect these findings to two key analytical frameworks: the theory of territorial imbrication, which emphasizes the interdependence of governance levels, and the theory of the incompatibility of public choices, which reveals the tensions between national priorities and local needs, potentially perpetuating fragmentation and inefficiencies.

The issue then explores the endogenous economic drivers likely to support inclusion. An analysis of the role of microfinance institutions in the Jacmel metropolitan area shows how the local economy and social capital shape access to finance and structure entrepreneurial vitality. Other articles extend this reflection by examining incubation mechanisms (departmental committees) and support programs that leverage training, mentorship, and diaspora resources, evaluating both their contributions (jobs, value chains, inclusion of marginalized groups) and their limitations (insufficient infrastructure, organizational difficulties, access to finance).

Finally, particular attention is paid to the socio-cultural dimension of local development. Based on field surveys, the issue discusses how development projects can transform, consolidate or weaken certain collective dispositions (learning, relationships to collective action, effects of training), inviting us to think of sustainability as a combination of institutional capacities, territorial embeddedness and social trajectories.

By bringing these works together, this first issue offers a demanding but operational reading: sustainability and territorial balance require better-equipped communities, more coherent funding, and local ecosystems capable of converting resources, learning and solidarity into inclusive development trajectories.