Bangkok--Sep 30--eTurbo news
Q: Hurricanes did tremendous damage to several Caribbean island nations this year. What is the state of Caribbean economies in the aftermath of the hurricanes? What is your forecast for the region's tourism industry in the coming peak-season months?
A: Guest Comment: Byron Blake: "Two thousand and four was a very devastating year as a result of hurricanes. The total economic loss has been put at over $2 billion for the Caribbean. Looking into the future, I think that for some of the countries, particularly Grenada, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and Dominica, where quite a bit of the infrastructure has been damaged, there would be some effect into next year. Grenada is the worst affected. On the region overall, the impact is not going to be significant long-term. For some of the countries-like Dominica and Grenada-the recovery of the
agriculture sector is going to be long. I would not, however, expect that the impact on total economic growth is going to be that bad.
Where we're going to see a significant impact is on the fiscal budgets because of the infrastructure they will have to replace, and that will take a few years. I would also expect that the cost of insurance and reinsurance is going to increase in the future for a number of countries. With respect to the tourism sector, I would not expect cruise tourism to be significantly affected. With respect to land-based tourism, one would expect that to some extent in Grenada, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and to a lesser extent in Jamaica, it would have an impact, but generally speaking I would not think the overall winter season would see significant effects because the hotels are back up in operation. Looking still further into the future, I think the major concern for the Caribbean is the repeat of these active hurricane seasons. If what we are witnessing is a result of climactic change and global warming, then these active seasons at shorter intervals (every 3-4 years versus about every 10 years) could pose a real difficulty in terms of infrastructure costs."
Byron Blake is former Assistant Secretary General for Regional Trade and Economic Integration at the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
A: Guest Comment: Bernardo Vega: "The Dominican Central Bank estimates total loss resulting from damages caused by Hurricane Jeanne to be $322 million, of which $113 million represent damages to the tourist sector. It is estimated that 80 percent of these damages will be recovered through reinsurance claims, since most of the hotels affected are in the Eastern coast and were totally insured.
The agricultural sector was the second-hardest hit, with losses estimated at $64 million, which were not insured. It is the experience in the Dominican Republic that heavy rains related to hurricanes quickly result in improved agricultural production, while losses in buildings, bridges, and roads are permanent. Nearly all the hotels in the Dominican Republic have opened up again and are ready for the Christmas season. Hotels in Santo Domingo and nearby beaches in Puerto Plata were not affected, damages being limited to the East coast and the Samana Peninsula. In Samana, damages were represented mostly by coconut trees falling down. Former US president Bill Clinton and his family were vacationing in the East oast two weeks ago, while the King of Morocco arrived this week."
Bernardo Vega is a former Dominican Ambassador to the United States and a former President of the Central Bank.
A: Guest Comment: Berthia Parle: "The importance of travel and tourism to the Caribbean is indisputable. Two Caribbean countries-Antigua & Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands-owe more than 75 percent of their economies in terms of GDP to travel and tourism; for another four countries it is between 50-75 percent; and between 25-50 percent for a further ten countries. It is in fact the only viable economic sector of the region, in spite of the adversities being experienced by some of our islands. Nothing has emphasized the fragility and vulnerability of our Caribbean economies more than Hurricanes Frances, Charlie, Ivan "the Terrible," and Tropical Storm Jeanne. Grenada's GDP was, within a 48-hour period, reduced to zero. In Grenada, as elsewhere in the Caribbean, tourism was the lifeblood of the economy. And tourism will also be Grenada's road to recovery. Displaying the same resilience that our people have demonstrated in the face of adversity in the past, we are pleased to say that the Caribbean is 'open for business' following the recent hurricane activity in the region. The regional tourism industry finds itself in a position of strength and optimism, enjoying a resurgence that surpasses even the growth of 2000, a benchmark year for all; with more air service (both scheduled and charter) than in the years prior to 2001; and with a product of unmatched diversity and increasing versatility."
For more information, please contact
[email protected]
http://www.travelwirenews.com/medie End.