Amazingly, hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria were not enough to knock the wind out of one the hottest tourist destinations in the world: the Caribbean -- an extraordinarily immense region that stretches for over one million square miles where the vast majority of the islands were untouched by the recent hurricanes and have been and continue to be in operation.
The sand has swept off the welcome mats and nearly 85% of all ports are open for business in a region that adds “resilience” to the other’s famed “R’s” it provides – rest and relaxation.
This is the latest message from the cruise and tourism industries, which delivered nearly $60 billion in revenue to the Caribbean Islands in 2016, and will remain instrumental in the regions’ continued recovery.
“Beach getaways are no superficial affair in the Caribbean and the neighboring Lucayan Archipelago, where many islands rely on tourism. Spending by vacationers in this…region will determine its economic future.” –New York Times, September 2017
“A single cruise visit generates a half-million dollars in economic impact. When travelers spend their hard-earned dollars for a cruise vacation, they're also supporting recovery efforts,” said Michele Paige, president of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. – LA Times, October 2017
“We’re in a unique position to help cities and areas that are open for business raise awareness with travelers on where they can go to still get the beach vacation they were hoping for, especially as we enter the winter and holiday seasons,” said John Morrey, vice president and general manager of Expedia.”
–NBC News, October 2017
Consumer tech-life journalist, Jennifer Jolly, has the inside scoop on how traveling to the Caribbean can help deliver a dream vacation to some, while providing on-going economic relief to others.
