CELEBRATING CARIBBEAN TOURISM MONTH

Nov 02, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

November is considered “Caribbean Tourism Month, but the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria has left several Islands in the Caribbean in dire straits and in need of urgent foreign assistance. The hurricanes have severely impacted tourism in the Caribbean.
During the first half of this year, the region performed at new record pace, with16.6 million international tourist arrivals at a healthy growth rate of 5.2 percent, compared to the same period last year. However, following the devastation by hurricanes Irma and Maria, tourism has decreased significantly.
The Caribbean Development Bank predicts that one per cent reduction in tourist arrivals will cost US$137 million in lost revenue.
Hit harder than expected by hurricanes Irma and Maria, the battered islands in the Caribbean face years of difficult recovery and will need international aid to get back on their feet. The force of the hurricanes was unimaginable and their destruction gruesome. With winds of 185 miles per hour (MPH) and gusts over 200 (MPH), both Irma and Maria are considered the two most powerful storms of their kind in the Atlantic Ocean in recorded history.
And climate experts say it is a sign of more to come if the nations fail to address climate change. Irma trails hurricane Allen in 1980, which had winds of 190 mph and is tied with Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988 as second most intense hurricane.
Even the most well-engineered and sturdiest buildings in the region were no match for hurricanes Irma and Maria. Anything over 155 miles per hour would have damaged any structure. The Saffir–Simpson scale has classified both as category 5 hurricanes which is the highest with over 157 MPH. But the magnitude of hurricanes Irma and Maria has called for the designation of a new “Category 6” hurricane.
Hurricanes Irma and Maria have left their mark in the saddest ways possible on the battered Caribbean islands which have suffered widespread destruction of houses, buildings and deaths. The disaster, hardship and pain faced by the peoples of the Caribbean have revealed the mind-boggling effects of hurricanes on their lives. Irma and Maria have reminded us of the devastation of hurricanes Gilbert, Hugo and Ivan on Jamaica, Montserrat and Grenada respectively.
Many are of the opinion that the region has had more than its share of the destructive hurricanes in September, which historically is the most active hurricane season.
September has infamously recorded some of the most deadly hurricanes on the region with untold damage to property.
Irma is the most powerful hurricane to hit Caribbean since 1851, with major damage to agriculture, tourism and housing, the three worst-hit sectors with foreseeable consequences for production, exports, market supplies and those who earn a living from those sectors.
Hotels on the paradise islands which bore the brunt of the hurricanes would not be ready in time for the start of the high tourist season in mid-December. For now, it is important to restore food, water and electricity in order to prevent further disaster.
The Caribbean’s long history of dealing with hurricanes and its ability to organise itself did not spare it from such destruction. It was hit harder than initially expected, which means that the prevention building mechanisms were no match for the magnitude of the hurricanes. But even though the damage to buildings and houses was significant, the mechanisms to protect lives did work because there were only a few deaths.

Now with a reduction in tourism, significant investment will be required to rebuild the islands’ economy and improve its growth.

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