Stéphanie Smith was installed in her position as Minister of Tourism on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The installation ceremony was held at the Ecole Hôtelière d’Haïti, where the ministry has been housed for several months, notably in the presence of the outgoing minister John Herrick Dessources, the current Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (Ministry for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights Haiti), Pedrica Saint-Jean, the ministry’s director, and other senior officials of the institution.

In the absence of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, it was the Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights, Pedrica Saint-Jean, who installed the new Minister of Tourism. In her speech, Ms. Saint-Jean called on Ms. Smith to demonstrate leadership in order to transform “current challenges into opportunities,” “strengthen Haiti’s visibility internationally,” and “promote the role of women in tourism development.”