Study: Hurricanes cost Caribbean $741M in visitor spending

The World Travel Tourism Council revealed
findings of its Resilience and Recovery report on the impact of the 2017
hurricane season on Caribbean travel and tourism.

Because of the hurricanes, the Caribbean had 826,100 fewer
visitors than what was forecasted.

“These visitors would have generated $741 million in
revenues and supported 11,005 jobs. Research suggests that recovery to previous
levels could take up to four years, resulting in an approximate loss of $3
billion,” the report said.

The report warned that natural disasters will continue to
hit the Caribbean because of climate change.

“It is critical that governments and destination
management organizations develop strategies to minimize the long-term impact of
natural disasters and encourage visitor spending to return to pre-hurricane
levels of growth,” the report said.

The study was conducted for WTTC by Tourism Economics.