The Caribbean is Open for Business

Did you know that the Caribbean is over a million square miles? see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean or this quick sketch of the area.

Area	2,754,000 km2 (1,063,000 sq mi)

Did you also know that the storms affected a stretch that was only 170 miles wide?

The storms were tough -and hit their unfortunate marks with precision. Sister islands Antigua and Barbuda are the best example – Antigua was hardly impacted, while Barbuda was devastated.

Those affected still need help. Those unaffected still need your travel dollars.

Watch Lin Manuel Miranda’s song to benefit Puerto Rico.

Donate, donate, donate.

And while we want to help the affected areas, bringing tourism back to those affected areas, as well as continuing to travel to the non-affected areas, will be key to the region’s recovery. Tourism is key to the area. We must not allow the loss of homes (and life) to be continually magnified by the loss of jobs and future revenue.

Did you know that 70% of the Caribbean was untouched by recent hurricanes?  Did you know Barbuda was impacted, but Bermuda and Barbados weren’t. Ensuring islands and geography aren’t confused is part of the challenge when some news stories paint the entire area with a broad brush. As soon as they’re ready to accept you, and especially to the islands not impacted by the storms, travel.

Travel, travel, travel.

The evening will promote helping the Caribbean in those same two ways:

1) donating to affected areas, and

2) traveling to the non-affected areas.

To donate to affected areas, kindly note that a fundraising element has been set up for the evening (admission tickets require completion of a $25 online donation to Tourism Cares and there is a shopping fundraiser). To travel to the non-affected areas, a Caribbean travel presentation will follow, outlining how and where you can travel to the Caribbean with some special partners.