Talking Points: Caribbean (September 28, 2017)

Talking Points – Hurricane Damage in the Caribbean

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The following Talking Points can be used in conversations with the media and clients who have questions about traveling to the Caribbean post-Hurricane Irma. (Updated September 28, 2017)

1. Although the recent hurricanes have deeply affected many Caribbean islands, many others are “open for business” and welcoming tourists.

2. We are here to assist our clients; their safety and well-being is our top priority.

3. We provide the facts so our clients can make an informed decision about their travel plans.

Below you will find additional information, supporting material, and statistics supporting each talking point.

1. Although the recent hurricanes have deeply affected many Caribbean islands, many others are “open for business” and welcoming tourists.

 The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season has been especially active, with three major hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Maria) occurring over a short period of time.

 Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused dozens of deaths and devastated many Caribbean islands’ infrastructure.

 The Caribbean Travel Update, operated by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Organization, list “Affected Islands” and those “Open for Business.” The site says “Open for Business” islands have not been affected at all or are mostly up and running once again after storms Irma, Jose and Maria. The lists are being revised on a regular basis.

o Affected Islands

 Anguilla

 Barbuda

 British Virgin Islands

 Dominica

 Puerto Rico

 St. Barts

 Sint Maarten/St. Martin

 U.S. Virgin Islands

o Open for Business: The majority of Caribbean islands were not in the hurricanes’ path or sustained minimal damage. They are:

 Antigua

 Aruba

 Barbados

 Belize

 

 Bermuda

 Bonaire

 Cayman Islands

 Cuba

 Curacao

 Dominican Republic

 Guadeloupe

 Guyana

 Grenada

 Haiti

 Jamaica

 Martinique

 Montserrat

 Nevis

 Saba

 St. Eustatius

 St. Kitts

 St. Lucia

 St. Vincent

 Suriname

 The Bahamas

 Trinidad & Tobago

 Turks & Caicos

 Many cruise lines have changed itineraries to temporarily avoid islands in hurricane recovery. As the situation is ongoing, it is recommended that travel agents carefully check each cruise line’s website to ensure they are giving accurate information to their clients.

 CLIA provided a statement about the cruise industry during the hurricanes:

“During Hurricane Irma, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Cruise Line Members were in constant contact with officials regarding port closures and itinerary changes in the Caribbean.

Policies and practices regarding customer care involving hurricanes and availability of impacted destinations are set by individual cruise lines.

The safety of passengers and crew is the industry’s top priority, which is why cruise ships have the flexibility to alter their itineraries to avoid areas of higher risk. Where possible, cruise lines strive to provide alternate ports of call; change the sequence of the ports; or extend calls in ports to compensate for the loss of another port of call.

 Specific questions regarding itinerary changes due to Hurricane Irma are best addressed by individual cruise lines. Following are links to the most up-to-date information on the impact of Hurricane Irma for several cruise lines.”

 Royal Caribbean

 Norwegian Cruise Line

 Disney Cruise Line

 Carnival

 MSC Cruises

 

 It is recommended that travel professionals closely follow the CTO Storm Watch Center for the latest travel and tourism updates for the Caribbean.

 Anguilla: CNN reported that: “On Anguilla, a 90-square kilometer island that is among several British overseas territories in the Caribbean, 90% of all government buildings were severely affected and 80-90% of the island’s schools have been damaged, the UNOCHA [United Nations Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance] said. Electricity and phone lines have been disrupted, hospitals have limited capabilities and there is no running water.”

 Barbuda: The island of Barbuda, one of the two islands that make up the country of Antigua and Barbuda suffered catastrophic damage.

o The United Nation’s News Centre reported on September 21 that the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Alphonso Browne, said: “the island of Barbuda is decimated; its entire population left homeless; and its buildings reduced to empty shells…For the first time in over 300 years, there is now no permanent resident on Barbuda. The footprints of an entire civilization have been emasculated by the brutality and magnitude of Irma,’ he said.”

 The British Virgin Islands were devastated by the storms.

o The Independent noted the severe damage: “The unofficial estimate puts the loss at 90 per cent of homes, businesses and boats.”

o Visitors to the British Virgin Islands cannot fly directly there, and must connect through other Caribbean airports. Many of these airports, such as St. Martin, are currently non-operational.

 Dominica missed most of the damage from Hurricane Irma, but was not so fortunate with Hurricane Maria. According to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, “…the storm tore apart homes, ravaged businesses, and wiped out infrastructure and agriculture; the ‘nature isle’ demolished by nature itself.”(BBC News)

 Puerto Rico did not take a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, but its effects were still felt. Hurricane Maria added further to the destruction:

o In a message to travelers, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association said:

 “The resumption of normal flight operations is being delayed for safety reasons due to radar functionality limitations impacting the number of arrivals and departures. The airport is operational again but on a limited schedule from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM EDT until further notice. There are approximately twelve commercial flights scheduled daily. International flights have not yet been authorized.”

 “We strongly encourage travelers without confirmed flights to avoid going to the airport. Reservations are not being managed at SJU and passengers must reconfirm these reservations directly with their airline before going to the airport for check-in. Also note that airplane seat capacity is extremely limited as airlines continue to work on additional recovery flights.”

o Puerto Rico’s infrastructure continues to frustrate recovery efforts, as the country’s electric grid was destroyed by the hurricanes, leaving the island without power.

 

 St. Martin/Sint Maarten (the island is split into French and Dutch territories) evacuated numerous Americans from the island after the devastation of Hurricane Irma.

o The Dutch Red Cross has estimated a 90% damage rate for buildings in Sint Maarten.

o Princess Juliana International Airport has been nearly destroyed, and is not operational at this time.

 In a statement on their website, the airport said: “Due to Hurricane Irma, all commercial flights in and out of Princess Juliana International Airport are currently suspended. Until further notice, the airport is serving as a dedicated hub for emergency and evacuation flights only.”

 St. Barthelemy, in addition to sustaining its own severe damage in Hurricane Irma, is hampered further by the fact that the main point of entry for air travelers is from Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Martin/Siint Maarten, which has its own severe hurricane damage and is not accepting flights.

 “Bruno Magras, the president of the local government, said the largest impact was on private homes and public infrastructure, like the fire station and government offices. Hotel capacity also has been hit. ‘Obviously that will have an economic impact,’ he said. ‘Tourism is everything to us. It’s the only economic activity we have. We import everything and export nothing.’”

 The United States Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix) are not able to welcome travelers currently, and there is no timeline for the renewal of tourism services.

 The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has requested on their website that “Due to the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, we are requesting the postponement of all scheduled visits to St. Thomas and St. John.”

2. We are here to assist our clients; their safety and well-being is our top priority.

 We are advocates for our clients; and they know that by working with a true travel professional, we are there for them before, during and after their trip should they need us – which gives them peace of mind.

 We strongly encourage all of our clients, whether they are traveling domestically or internationally, to purchase travel insurance, particularly right at the same time as travel has been booked. Travel insurance offers an additional layer of protection for travelers and can potentially help save a traveler hundreds or thousands of dollars if a medical or travel emergency occurs.

 Travel agents are trained to monitor situations, such tropical storms and hurricanes, which may impact their clients’ travel plans. As such, they also are in a position to work on alternative travel plans and have those in place the moment the need arises.

 If changes in travel plans are necessary due to weather, many times, travel agents are able to rebook clients for no additional charge or are able to obtain travel vouchers and/or refunds that clients may not know are due or available to them.

o Some U.S. airlines are now offering travel waivers due to the storms, including:

 

 Alaska Airlines

 American Airlines

 Delta Air Lines

 United Airlines

 With limited airline seats available, travel agents have the resources needed to quickly rebook clients and reserve the next available seat.

o Travelers who book on their own either have to “roll the dice” by calling an 800-number or standing in a lengthy customer service line to try get rebooked. Using a travel agent can essentially move you to the “front of the line.”

3. We provide the facts so our clients can make an informed decision about their travel plans.

 We closely monitor the latest news and weather updates, as well as the U.S. Department of State website, for travel alerts and travel warnings for all destinations, including those that are most popular with our clients.

 Should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination, we alert clients who may be planning to travel there so they can determine for themselves if they still wish to travel.

 Also, should we become aware of an issue for a specific destination where a client is currently located, we try to immediately contact the client to check on their well-being and work to assist them if they require alternate travel arrangements.