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ANTIGUAAND BARBUDATOURISM AUTHORITY Althoughsister island Barbudawas flattenedbyHurricaneMaria on Sept.6,Antiguawas nearlyunscathed and saw morethan 1million tourist arrivals in 2017 —arecordfor the island.

ravaged. ’s neigh- kubuli National Trail. their next visit to Domin- bor to the south, Marti- Beginning in mid-Febru- ica.” nique, was relatively un- ary at the Tamarind Tree Tourism Minister Tonge scathed by Maria. But Hotel, for instance, trav- said the island had been more than two months elers could purchase aone- considering adding volun- after the storms had end- or two-week all-inclusive tourism options since be- ed, was spread- package that included the fore the storm. After as- ing the message that it had typical amenities —meals, sessing the damage left by been spared —and was drinks, guided tours and Maria, and realizing many open for business. transfers —plus tools, islands were feeling similar In tropical Dominica, machinery and protective shortages of workers and signs of Maria’s wrath have gear for visitors primed to supplies, Tonge and his started to dissipate, and spend some portion of their colleagues felt it was final- silver linings have vacation clearing segment ly the right time to offer emerged. Maria’s fury, it 11 of thetrail. The visitors an opportunity to turns out, unearthed some packages run from about give back. DISCOVER DOMINICAAUTHORITY gems. $1,210 to $3,170 per per- “This was something we Dominica’s tourism agencyreleased these twophotos: The topshows damagetoastreet “We have actually seen son. thought of along time ago; rightafter Hurricane Maria hit on Sept.18. Below, the debris has been removed. waterfalls that we never Although the project now we see the true bene- saw before,” Tonge said. hasn’t been amajor tou- fits of it,” Tonge said. “It was like apruning.” rism traffic-driver yet — “Many times, you have welcome tourists back. In previous operation levels. back. That’s thanks in part Here’s an island-by- only four packages have people come into adestina- Dominica, the nation start- Those moves have trans- to each country’s efforts to island rundown on the been sold so far, with more tion who have specialized ed small, with teams work- formed the region’s seem- update potential visitors on current situation: booked in late April —the skills, who utilize their ing to clear roads, dispose ingly grim prospects, even progress and, in some hotel plans to make it talents to help the coun- of debris and restore water in places that got the one- cases, offer abit of ageog- DOMINICA available through the end try.” and electricity. To date, the two punch from both Irma raphy lesson. Dominica knows it needs of August, said Annette Apart from the Tama- nation’s government has and Maria. Because of the vastness help —and it has some Peyer Loerner, aspokeswo- rind, Fort Young Hotel, spent nearly $19million In most countries, tours of the region —with 7,000 visitors who are willing to man for the Tamarind. Secret Bay Resorts, Cobra just to clear debris and are back in operation, air- islands scattered across pitch in. “The voluntourists who Tours, Cool Breeze Tours restore roads, Tonge said. ports and seaports are open more than amillion square Since the storm, ahalf- have booked the program and Cabrits Dive are also Now seven months after and some hotels have be- miles —even places barely dozen hotels and tour oper- and participated in the offering voluntourism the storms, each small gun welcoming guests. The kissed by abreeze from ators have started offering clearing of Segment 11 packages. thing has added up. Coun- recovery varies from coun- Irma and Maria experi- “voluntourism” packages have very much enjoyed Elsewhere on Dominica, tries have gone from small try-to-country, with most enced adip in visits from for travelers who want to the combination of tour- much of the most critical projects to larger under- still struggling to rebuild tourists who thought the help restore and clear de- istic sightseeing and volun- post-Maria destruction has takings: rebuilding homes hotel infrastructure. entire area, from the coast bris, particularly on the teer work for avaluable been addressed. and hotels, restoring ports Meanwhile, winter-bat- of Central America to the island’s 114-mile, 14-seg- cause,” Loerner said. and reopening airports to tered tourists have trickled Lesser Antilles, was storm- ment walking trail, Waitu- “Some already planned SEE ISLANDS, 12G

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FROM PAGE 12G ISLANDS making our way back.” firm STR. And many rooms are occupied by first re- PUERTORICO sponders staying on the In Puerto Rico, the lights island for extended periods are on in Old San Juan — of time. for the most part. Several major resorts, That’s not necessarily such as El Conquistador, the case for thousands of Caribe Hilton and Ritz- other people and busi- Carlton San Juan, remain nesses on the island, which shuttered. is still grappling with the But good news is on the impact of the worst hurri- horizon: An additional cane in its history. But 3,800 rooms will be added many of the island’s tourist next year thanks to new attractions are open again. hotel openings from JW Puerto Rico’s tourism Marriott, ALOFT San Juan leaders have been working Convention Center, to spread the word. ALOFT Ponce, Four Sea- “We will never forget sons Cayo Largo and O:LV what happened six months Fifty Five. In the San Juan ago, but we certainly don’t area alone, 11 new proper- need to be reminded of it ties are slated to open in JOSE QUIÑONES with past or inaccurate 2019. The openings began Abeach on the French side of St.Martin. The island washit by bothHurricanes Irma and Maria but is recovering. portrayals of the situation late last month, when the which could negatively 96-room Serafina Beach impact someone’s decision Hotel debuted in the Con- to visit Puerto Rico,” dado district of San Juan. Cruise Association. SINT MAARTEN/ said Carla Campos, acting Puerto Rico has also So in the winter, 14 ves- ST.MARTIN executive director of received acritical assist sels started homeporting in José Quiñones, an 18- the government-owned from the cruise industry. San Juan —four more than year-old roller-coaster Puerto Rico Tourism Com- After the hurricanes, the previous season. They mechanic at Six Flags New pany (PRTC), in astate- cruise lines pumped more included Royal England in Massachusetts, ment. than $30million into relief International’s Freedom of planned aCaribbean cruise In the regions most vis- efforts. The Caribbean is the Seas, the Windstar with his friends exactly one ited by tourists —including important for the industry, Pride, Silverseas’ Silver week before Irma and Ponce, La Parguera, Rin- accounting for 35.4 percent Wind and Viking Sea. The Maria pounded the region. cón, Cabo Rojo and Luquil- of the global deployment airport is back in operation Half of the itinerary in- lo —many hotels have capacity market share in and expects to return to cluded destinations that reopened, restaurants are 2017,according to the pre-Maria levels by the end would later get adirect hit serving customers and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise of the summer. from both storms: Sint streets have been mostly Association. Some of the Tours are also operating, Maarten/St.Martin and cleared of debris. But in region’s most popular ports with more than more than Puerto Rico. the neighborhoods outside were hit by Irma, Maria or 100 day excursions avail- The storms thrust the the tourism hubs, damaged both. able, Campos said. They trip into uncertainty, but trees, downed power lines But among them, Puerto include excursions to Cue- the teens waited it out, and shuttered businesses Rico was the only port that va Ventana, Toro Verde, El hoping the destinations are commonplace. was also ahomeport, Morro and Bacardí. The would recover in time for Since Hurricane Maria where cruises begin and island territory is hoping to their weeklong March struck on Sept. 20,83per- end their journeys. Getting break its cruise passenger cruise on Royal Caribbean cent of the 15,000 hotel it and the airport running record with 1.7 million International’s Freedom of rooms endorsed by the will help keep Puerto Rico visitors in 2018. the Seas. PRTC have reopened, afloat as the land-based “This has been one of “By December, we were Campos said. Still, demand infrastructure is rebuilt. the biggest challenges the all alittle bit worried about to visit Puerto Rico re- “If we don’t go to Puerto tourism industry has faced that because we hadn’t mains soft, down 8.4 per- Rico, even destinations to this day,” Campossaid. seen any updates on the COURTESY OF CHUCK MEANY cent in February over the that weren’t affected are “No destination is ever status of the islands,” Qui- Chuck Meanyand his twochildren, Shannon and Ryan, on year before, according to going to be affected,” said ready to face two back-to- ñones said. “We were wor- Jost VanDykeinthe in early March. the most recent numbers Michele Paige, president of back- storms like Irma and ried abut how the sight- The family took aboat from the U.S. Virgin Islands,where from data and analytics the Florida-Caribbean Maria.” seeing was going to be and theystopped on acruise, to the island. MONDAY APRIL 16 2018 15G MIAMIHERALD.COM BUSINESS MONDAY Centerpiece

H1 whether anything was people are still projected to still awork in progress.” going to be affected. come to St. Martin on a Travelers to Turks and “But it wasn’t like that at cruise ship in 2018, adip Caicos can still expect to all. It was actually pretty from see some debris, homes good.” 1.8 million but an increase being rebuilt and land- Among the places on his from projections immedi- scaping work on the is- trip, Quiñones said the ately post-Irma. lands, travelers said. But shared Dutch-and-French On his trip, Quiñones nearly all hotels have re- island of St. Martin was a said, he didn’t notice the opened, including the standout. It was also, in his hurricane destruction so larger resorts in Providen- estimation, the hardest-hit. much as he did the tur- ciales. The island’s famous quoise waters and bare “We found that just by Princess Juliana Interna- beaches. He ate, got drinks working with government tional Airport, known for and jet-skied, he said, as he and communities, the port plane landings close to would on aregular trip. authority and tourism ind- nearby Maho Beach, was Still, farther away from the sutry, it’s an incredibly severely battered by the coast, he and his friends resilient region,” Candib hurricanes. About 85 per- said they saw signs of the said. “After the impact of cent of its roof suffered hurricanes’ destructive two very powerful storms water damage, said Suzy path. and the devastation it Kartokromo, manager for “You could still see peo- caused, the ability to come marketing and customer ple rebuilding alot of stuff, back as quickly as it did is a service at the airport. people laying cement, alot testament to what we have Without afunctioning of structures were being been able to do together.” building, passengers are rebuilt,” Quiñones said. CARNIVALCORPORATION MICHEL VERDURE instead funneled through “But alot of stuff was up U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Agroup of travelers in Grand Turk preparing fora“mini Hummer” tour crowdsaround two large white, air-condi- and running. No one Chuck Meany and his one of the vehicles in Turks and Caicos.Despitebeing hit by both Hurricanes Irma and tioned tents —one for seemed devastated by it... two college-age children, Maria, the island has reopened to visitors,and particularly to cruise-ship passengers. arrivals and one for depar- They worked really hard to Ryan and Shannon, went tures. The pavilions are get the place looking back to the Caribbean stocked with many of the good.” expressly to help the re- typical airport amenities: building effort. restrooms, cafés, shops and TURKS ANDCAICOS The three took aweek- ATMs. Of the islands hit by both long trip to the Bahamas, The reconstruction of the Hurricanes Irma and Ma- Turks and Caicos, Puerto airport’s roof is expected to ria, Turks and Caicos has Rico and the U.S. Virgin be completed this summer, made one of the fastest Islands aboard Carnival which will be acritical step recoveries. Glory in early March as a in water-proofing the rest The 7-square-mile island way to pump tourism dol- of the building and re- of Grand Turk, where lars into the region. opening the airport’s main cruise ships dock and “After the hurricanes, I building, Kartokromo said. where amillion cruise ship paid attention, Imade a On the island’s French passengers disembark contribution to one of the side, Grand Case Interna- every year, did not sustain causes. Then Idecided I tional Airport is open to any damage to its most wanted to go there,” said commercial and interna- important bit of infrastruc- Meany, who is from Min- tional flights. ture: the cruise pier. neapolis, Minnesota. “You But like other Caribbean That doesn’t mean the can contribute money, but islands, St. Martin is suf- port didn’t suffer from the these people that are run- fering from ashortage of same reluctance that kept ning abusiness, ataxi cab hotel rooms. On the Dutch some travelers away from [for example], it’s not go- side, about 1,030 hotel the region. But cruise traf- ing to trickle down to those rooms are available —from fic is picking up again. people.” nearly 4,000 pre-storms — “[Now], the tours are When their ship docked and in the French side, back up and running — in St. Thomas, Meany said about 310rooms have pretty much everything is the cruise port looked like reopened out of 1,200. there,” said David Candib, it had during his past trips For travelers who come vice president of global to the island. It was clean via cruise, like Quiñones, port and destination devel- and shops were open. there’s abright side: About opment group at Carnival There, he and his kids took 85 to 90 percent of attrac- Corporation, which owns ataxi to another port, tions are taking visitors the Grand Turk Cruise where they chartered an and beaches have been Center. “There are still cleared. About 1.2 million parts of the island that are SEE ISLANDS, 16G 16G MONDAY APRIL 16 2018 Centerpiece BUSINESS MONDAY MIAMIHERALD.COM

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FROM PAGE 15G rooms available are still St. Thomas, which remain repositioning the eastern you to please give us ayear housing relief workers, closed. Caribbean voyages on the because we would prefer Nicholson-Doty said. Air Without most of its hotel Norwegian Escape to the you to wait ayear than to ISLANDS seats into the island are rooms open, the USVI, too, western Caribbean until come and be disappoint- down to about 5,000 from has benefited from receiv- November 2018. From ed,” she said. “We honest- $800 private boat to sail to Airbnb rentals and villas, 6,000. ing cruise passengers — mid-April through Septem- ly want to exceed expecta- nearby Jost Van Dyke in across the two islands. The But more flights are on who don’t need land-based ber, Norwegian Getaway tions.” the British Virgin Islands. lack of housing options has the horizon: This month, accommodations. All but will also sail to the western But for those who have “I was carrying alot also affected flights, which United Airlines returns to one of the cruise lines that Caribbean instead. gone to the Caribbean-post more cash than Inormally are down to about 50 per- the USVI. In May, Spirit called on St. Thomas prior In the meantime, Nichol- hurricanes, it has perhaps would,” he said,inorder to cent of the typical capacity Airlines will increase serv- to Irma’s passage have son-Doty said the U.S. never been abetter time to spend more money and this time of year, said Tou- ice with flights to St. Croix returned to the country. Virgin Islands is focusing visit: Tours, attractions and hand out tips. rism Commissioner Bever- and Delta Air Lines will “The cruise lines’ return on being honest with trav- beaches are less crowded, Overall, Meany said he ly Nicholson-Doty. reinstate service to St. provided asignificant eco- elers about what they can and islanders are keen to thinks the U.S. Virgin Is- Major resorts still closed Thomas from New York. nomic balance to ensure expect on the island. provide superior service. lands are back —just mis- on St. Thomas include The On the ground, beaches that at least some of our If they are looking to For those who go, even if sing many of their hotel Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, have reopened and are tourism-based workers enjoy food, natural attrac- it’s just to vacation like rooms, which will undoubt- Marriott’s Frenchman’s being tested weekly for could return to work and tions, marine activities and Meany, giving back is in edly limit their ability to Cove and Sugar Bay Resort water quality, Nicholson- that we could keep the shopping, then Nicholson- the act itself. rebound to pre-storm lev- &Spa. Doty said. But some ex- economic channels of tou- Doty encourages travelers “I think the biggest thing els quickly, he said. In St.Croix, the situation cursions will take longer to rism flowing,” Nicholson- to move forward with their for people is to go,” he Only about 40 to 50 is alittle cheerier. The come back, including the Doty said. trips to the USVI. said. “They need people. percent of the hotels in St. island has ahigher per- Tree Limin’ Extreme Zi- Miami-based Norwegian “If you are looking to They need butts in seats.” Thomas and St. John have centage of accommodation pline experience and the Cruse Line is the only line come to adestination reopened —about 2,500 units that have reopened, St. Peter Greathouse & that has pulled back signif- where you see no remnants Chabeli Herrera: units, including timeshare, but many of the 1,300 Botanical Gardens, both on icantly from the region, of astorm, we are asking 305-376-3730,@ChabeliH

Trunk BayonSt. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, aboutthree months affter the hurricanes hit.

MARGOTJORDAN USVIDepartmentofTourism