After three deadly hurricanes, and a fourth gaining strength, it’s no surprise tourism officials are concerned about perceptions that Florida and the Caribbean are not receiving visitors these days.
But that’s not the case at all.
Scott Berman of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Miami told USA Today:
“There are pockets of serious damage, but generally speaking, 95% of the hotel inventory is receiving guests.”
Added Victor Lopez, a Miami-based Hyatt Hotel Corp. division vice president:
“Too many people are watching too many (hurricane) film clips.” He said most islands and Florida resorts are conducting business as usual.
Tourist officials admit the hurricanes have had some impact, with closed airports, detoured cruise ships and cancelled vacations.
But much of the brunt of the storms was on residents. In Grenada, for example, few buildings were left untouched. The tourism market will be impacted there for the immediate future, with the upscale Spice Island Beach Resort so damaged it will be closed for a year.
Jamaica’s tourist-rich North Coast escaped the brunt of the storms and had only minor damage.
Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of Sandals, is inviting journalist to visit areas such as Negril and survey the limited damage. He said a Sandals and two Beaches resorts there will be closed until October for cleanup.
The Caribbean Tourist Organization has also started a fund to help member countries impacted by the hurricanes.
Report by David Wilkening
