By Alex Palmer From Successful Meetings

Puerto Rico assesses destruction in midst of continuing power outage while other destinations prep for months-long rebuilding

Meetings and incentive destinations throughout the Caribbean faced one devastating hurricane after the next in September, with hurricanes Irma, Maria, and — to a lesser extent — Jose wreaking havoc one on top of the other.

At press time, Hurricane Maria was in the midst of its destructive path through the region, heading toward the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. After avoiding the worst of Hurricane Irma, Puerto Rico suffered a direct hit, with intense flooding and the loss of power throughout the island. Many residents are expected to be without power for months.

“We at Meet Puerto Rico appreciate the outpouring of concern from our partners, clients, and media colleagues,” said Milton Segarra, CDME, president and CEO of Meet Puerto Rico, the day after Maria made landfall. “Our team is safe and taking care of our families while our hotel partners are keeping our guests safe. Our industry’s hurricane plans are in effect — with damage assessment already underway.”

He added that they were working with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association to assess damage, though at press time, details of the scale of destruction were limited. It was a cruel contrast to the relief the island experienced following Irma, when it had been spared the destruction of the direst predictions.

“One of the things I’ve said about us as a destination is that it’s about preparedness,” Segarra said after Irma passed. “It’s important for clients to know that we are prepared for any eventuality, whether it’s security or health-scare related or weather related.”

Affected Islands

In addition to Puerto Rico, those meetings destinations that were hardest hit by Maria and Irma continued their recovery efforts.

The U.S. Virgin Islands were significantly damaged by Irma, particularly the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Not even three weeks later, Maria struck, with the eye of the Category 5 storm passing south of St. Croix, bringing with it hurricane-force winds and flooding.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism encouraged travelers to postpone trips to the islands as it further evaluated the damage and coordinated evacuation efforts.

“The past 24 hours have been difficult and exhausting for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, especially our friends, family, neighbors, and communities on St. Croix,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp a day after Maria made landfall there. “After touring damaged neighborhoods across St. Croix, my prayer is for renewed strength and resolve to rebuild all of our islands in the wake of these two terrible storms. Your government will neither rest nor grow weary as we continue to work with our federal partners and our friends across the mainland and around the world, to clean up and reconstruct the beautiful U.S. Virgin Islands.”

Among the properties expected to remain closed for months as they repair are Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort; The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas; Windward Passage Hotel; and Caneel Bay Resort.

Though spared from Maria, the British Virgin Islands continued its rebuilding after the devastating impact of Irma, downing entire structures, with the UK government sending in the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to provide relief. Properties including Long Bay Beach Resort and Villas, Peter Island Resort & Spa, and Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina, Autograph Collection remained closed as they assessed the extensive damage.

St. Maarten/St. Martin suffered significant destruction to properties across both the French and Dutch sides, with the Westin Dawn Beach, Beach Plaza, Riu Palace St. Martin, and Oyster Bay Beach Resort reporting major damage. Properties expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future are Royal Islander Club, Sea Palace Resort, Summit Resort Hotel, and Grand Case Beach Club. La Playa Orient Bay’s reopening has also been indefinitely postponed.

Anguilla was also hit hard by Irma, and a number of properties sustained damage. These include Covecastles Villa Resort, CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa and The Reef by CuisinArt, and the Anacaona Boutique Hotel.

To help respond to the devastation and assist in the rebuilding effort, the Caribbean Tourism Organization launched a CTO Relief Fund and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association launched a Caribbean Tourism Recovery Fund. The latest updates on the developments were also available on the CTO’s Storm Watch Center at onecaribbean.org/cto-storm-watch-centre.

For more on this story go to: http://www.successfulmeetings.com/News/Destinations/International/Caribbean-Moves-Forward-With-Recovery-Efforts-Puerto-Rico-St–Martin/#