As thousands of Caribbean and Floridan residents struggle with deteriorating conditions and lack of food and clean water in Hurricane Irma ravaged areas, hotels and resorts have begin to assess the damage sustained by the historic storm. All Canadian vacationers initially stranded have now returned home, aided by rescue flights by Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat, Sunwing as well as other U.S. and European carriers. Naturally, some of the hardest hit islands where the Category 5 hurricane (at the time) made its first landfall are the most affected, such as the tiny island of Barbuda in the Lesser Antille, who reported catastrophic damage and only an estimated 5% of its buildings remain. Antigua, Sint Maarten/St. Martin, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Turks and Caicos all took a hits too, with extensive damage reported throughout. Airports were closed leading up to and in the wake of the storm, but have now re-opened. With tourism being the key industry in most of the Caribbean, cleanup and rebuild efforts of the beaches, hotels, and resorts are now top of mind. The loss of communication had made it hard for hoteliers to report on the extent of the damage their hotels up until now, but Canadian tour operators (such as West Jet, Air Canada Vacations and Transat) have now been able to get their specialists on the ground. They made their assessments and have offered the following commitments: ANTIGUA
HOLGUIN
VARADERO
PUNTA CANA
TURKS AND CAICOS
THE BAHAMAS
Please note: The above information can change. For more information on a particular resort or destination that isn't detailed here, or if you have an upcoming trip to any of the affected areas, please contact your agent at Around the World Travel, 1-800-922-7221 or travel@aroundtheworldtravel.ca
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