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Island Update After the Earthquake
By James T. Yenckel The Caribbean resort areas most severely hit by monster Hurricane Gilbert last month -- the island of Jamaica and the beaches of Cancu'n and Cozumel on the east coast of Mexico -- appear to be rebounding quickly from the disaster. Tourism officials are optimistic these popular destinations will be in good repair in plenty of time for the busy, and profitable, winter vacation season. On the coastal islands of Cancu'n and Cozumel, most of the wind and flooding damage to hotels and other tourist facilities was "cosmetic," says Eduardo Saenz, who heads the Mexican Government Tourism Office in Washington. Hotels already are at work replacing broken windows, restoring water-soaked furniture and laying new carpeting. All but three hotels -- the only ones that suffered substantial structural damage -- are expected to be open by Nov. 1, when the government plans to resume promoting travel packages to the two islands. Jamaican tourism authorities are similarly optimistic. "The hotels are not damaged as much as we first thought," says Frank E. Carter, regional manager for Air Jamaica, the national airline. "They are bouncing back like crazy." All hotels are expected to be back in full operation by Dec. 1 and most by early October. Air Jamaica, which temporarily suspended its daily flight from Baltimore-Washington International to Jamaica, plans to reopen the route Monday. Since the hurricane, Jamaica has been served by flights from New York and Miami. Both Jamaica and the Mexican islands already are accepting tourists, although officials point out that for awhile cleanup and repair projects will be underway throughout the tourist areas. Some Jamaican hotels are offering discounts of up to 50 percent currently because all of the traditional amenities cannot immediately be provided. Hurricane Gilbert also made unwelcome calls on the Dominican Republic and politically troubled Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, and on the tiny British-governed Cayman Islands, northwest of Jamaica. But damage to tourist facilities was relatively minor, and island officials say travelers should encounter no difficulties as a result of the big storm. Haiti's image as a tropical getaway suffers far more from the unstable and often violent political situation that has plagued the island since dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier was toppled in 1986. In June, the U.S. State Department issued an official travel advisory cautioning Americans against unnecessary travel to Haiti. That advisory was scheduled to expire on Sept. 20, but an overnight military coup four days prior to the expiration date has raised new questions about the safety of Haiti as a vacation destination. In the path of Gilbert, perhaps tens of thousands of Jamaicans and Mexicans have been left homeless, and extensive acres of croplands devastated. Still, the governments of these two nations have felt a need to move quickly on restoring hotels and resorts because tourism is very important to the local economies. Loss of tourism revenues would substantially hinder what is expected to be a long recovery process. In recent years, the Caribbean has become one of the fastest-growing travel markets in the world. More than 9 million travelers now visit the Caribbean every year, according to John Bell, executive vice president of the Caribbean Hotel Association in San Juan, Puerto Rico. About 70 percent of them are Americans. Because many of Europe's currencies are so strong, there is expected to be a heavy flow this winter of tourists from Great Britian, France, Germany and other Northern European nations. American Express, one of the world's largest travel companies, is so impressed with the continued boom in Caribbean tourism that it has just launched a major tour program. In the past, the company primarily sold trips developed by other tour organizers. Now it is offering combined air and land packages of its own to 25 islands and 142 hotels. One reason for the growth is that the Caribbean is becoming a year-round destination. During the winter, the tradition Caribbean "in" season, most of the American travelers come from cold-weather states of the North in search of a sunny holiday. During the summer, a big percentage of the visitors are from the hot-weather states of the South and Southwest looking for cooling relief. The summer also draws bargain hunters aware that hotel prices drop by up to 50 percent. Among the other major travel developments in the Caribbean: Eastern Airlines is opening a new $36-million terminal at its hub in San Juan this month, and in the next three years, American Airlines expects to spend up to $100 million to triple the size of its Caribbean hub in San Juan. The San Juan hub system has greatly eased air travel to the Caribbean from the Washington area. Soon after opening its hub in 1986, American began flying nonstop from Baltimore-Washington International. Recently, it inaugurated daily flights out of Washington-Dulles. Eastern flies nonstop from BWI. Travelers can connect in San Juan to outlying islands served by American, Eastern and other airlines. Previously, travelers from this area often had to fly to New York to make connections. Overall, hotel prices continue to increase, although a number of properties are sticking with 1987's rates. At the top of the price range, the luxurious 38-room Jumby Bay Resort, located on its own private island off the coast of Antigua, will charge an all-inclusive rate (all meals, lodging, tips, tax) of $783 a day for two people, about $75 more than last year. More spartan, but still pleasant, accommodations on such islands as Terre des Haute in the French West Indies can be found for about $67 to $100 a night (lodging, breakfast and dinner) for two people. For adventurous travelers on a budget, the coastal islands of Belize and Venezuela offer bargains at less than $20 a night (lodging only) for two. Some Caribbean islands, such as tiny Saba, appear intent on limiting tourism growth to protect their established way of life. And that is just fine with a dedicated segment of travelers who prefer the offbeat and the unspoiled, where nightlife means watching the stars or falling asleep by 9. The Caribbean Tourism Association is currently promoting the charms of these quiet islands without high-rise hotels or casinos. Five years ago this month, the U.S. military rescue mission landed on the island nation of Grenada. It ousted unwanted leaders and paved the way for a new democratically elected government. To mark the anniversary, officials have issued a report noting that the number of tourists arriving annually is double what it was in 1983. Expansion has been controlled, they say. "No building can stand taller than a coconut palm." Hurricane Gilbert If travelers want to head immediately for Cancu'n or Cozumel, " 'Be my guest,' we tell them," says Eduardo Saenz of the Mexican Government Tourism Office. "Obviously, the view won't be as beautiful right now as it usually is." But otherwise, electricity has been restored, and cleanup crews are at work. Hotels that suffered damage are expected to reopen as quickly as they are repaired, and all should be ready by Nov. 1 with the exception of the three that have structural damage. Their reopening date is indefinite. Many of Jamaica's hotels also were able to open shortly after the hurricane passed, although initially with limited electricity and telephone service. The majority of those in need of rebuilding or refurbishing are expected to reopen this week, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board. A few will remain closed for a few more weeks. The latest scheduled reopening date is for the Holiday Inn in Montego Bay on Dec. 1. Some hotels lost parts of their roofs in the storm, says tourist board spokesman Al Chioda, and there was substantial water damage. Some delays in reopening may be caused because materials or new furniture must be shipped in. "We are accepting tourists, if they are so inclined," says Chioda. "The sun is shining, and the ocean is still great." For a short time, passengers arriving in Jamaica will be briefed at the airport about what damage they may encounter at their hotel. Prior to the hurricane, Jamaica generally was self-supporting agriculturally, and most tourist hotels served Jamaican beef, fowl and other foods. But, says Chioda, the island's agricultural industry was hard hit, and for the immediate future the hotels will be forced to import certain food items. Among the hotel discounts, Jamaica's SuperClubs organization, which operates four all-inclusive resorts, has been offering a 50 percent discount on reservations booked for arrival on or before this coming Thursday. The resorts, all of which reportedly sustained only minimal damage, are Couples, Hedonism II, Jamaica Jamaica and Boscobel Beach. For those who can make last-minute plans to go, a room for two (with all meals) is $840 to $995 for seven nights. Air Jamaica's special round-trip fare from Washington-Baltimore for the next few weeks is $198. The fare requires southbound travel on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday and northbound travel on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. The trip must begin by Nov. 18 and be completed by Nov. 25, and travelers must purchase a land package of at least $50. Haiti Since June 20, the U.S. State Department has been cautioning Americans to defer nonessential travel to Haiti because of the sometimes violent political unrest in the capital of Port-au-Prince and elsewhere. As a result of last month's military coup, the official Travel Advisory was extended until a determination is made that Americans can visit Haiti with reasonable safety. The advisory could be rescinded at any time. Because of the political situation, vacation travel to the island has diminished greatly, and a few weeks ago Haiti closed down its national tourism office in New York for economic reasons. However, Pan Am and Eastern have daily flights scheduled from Miami to Port-au-Prince. Many (but not all) of the principal tourist hotels in the capital and the beach resorts to the north and south are open. During the recent slack months, some hotels have taken the opportunity to refurbish in anticipation of better days. Haiti is not an island a traveler interested only in vacation pleasures should seek out. It has lovely beaches and other recreational facilities, but its biggest appeal is to visitors with a cultural curiosity. For more information about Travel Advisories to Haiti or any foreign destination, contact the State Department's Citizens Emergency Center in Washington at 647-5225. The Small Islands Because of the rapid growth in travel to the Caribbean, new hotels and resorts are opening up annually. An ongoing debate on many islands is where to place limits so that the local population and its culture is not overwhelmed by the visitors. "Growth is always an issue," says John Bell of the Caribbean Hotel Association, which represents about 700 properties on some 30 islands. On the one hand, the islanders "would like to retain a small community ambiance." But to justify good international air service and to support golf courses, "you need to have a certain number of tourists." The Caribbean may become the next site for one or more of the super-sized "fantasy resorts" that have sprung up in recent years in Hawaii, he suggests, because of the area's proximity to the populous East Coast and to Europe. The just-opened Hyatt Regency Waikoloa on the island of Hawaii alone has 1,244 rooms, more than all the hotels on several smaller Caribbean islands put together. Over the years, many islands have welcomed larger, luxury-style resorts with a choice of restaurants, lots of nightlife activities and a full range of recreational facilities -- among them the big islands of Jamaica, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Barbados. The Dominican Republic also seems to favor the development of large resorts. But there also is a market for little inns and hotels on the smaller islands. "I used to own one on St. Vincent," says Bell, "and most guests were delighted to come there and sit on the porch and read a book and eat the food, which was primarily Caribbean. You could turn the lights out at 9 o'clock because everyone had gone to bed." Increasing numbers of tourists are looking "for the new, the offbeat and the unspoiled," according to the Caribbean Tourism Association, which recently issued a press release promoting several of its smaller island members. For example, the island of Saba in the Netherlands Antilles, it noted, has only three small hotels. Saba's specialties are "peace, quiet and seclusion," and a major activity is "simply meeting the people" at one of the hotel bars. There are no beaches. Among the other small islands: St. Eustatius, where the Old Gin House is rated as one of the Caribbean's most agreeable getaway inns with fine dining; Mustique, the "toniest" of the Grenadines and a favorite of Princess Margaret; other Grenadines, such as Bequia, where the Frangipani Inn is a yachter's haven; and Dominica, home to the last descendants of the Caribs, the original inhabitants of the Caribbean. Their six villages may be visited. A new guide published this spring, "Undiscovered Islands of the Caribbean" (John Muir, $12.95), describes 60 of the Caribbean's less-visited islands. Author Burl Willes, a California travel agent specializing in exotic destinations, says he explored more than 250 of the Caribbean's inhabited islands to make his selection. Travelers planning a vacation must decide whether they want the bustle and bright lights of a big resort, a tropical getaway closer to what Robinson Crusoe experienced or perhaps something in between. The beach-ringed island of Antigua, for example, has a well-balanced mix of large resorts, such as the Jolly Beach Carib Village and the St. James Club; moderately priced smaller hotels (the 100-room Half Moon Bay) and several excellent small inns (Blue Waters Beach, Curtain Bluff). Finding the right kind of island vacation for you requires doing some homework, says Bell. Sometimes a guest would show up at his St. Vincent hotel "whose travel agent had messed up. The guy should have been sent to the Paradise Island Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. You knew you were in deep trouble." Grenada A good indication of the success Grenada's tourism industry has enjoyed since the U.S. intervention in 1983 is the growth in the number of visitors. Last year, the figure for arrivals was 57,406, almost double the 32,500 who ventured to the three-island nation in 1983. The number of cruise ships calling has more than tripled from 80 in 1983 to 260 in 1987, and a major expansion of port facilities is planned. Already, 1988 is seen as a "banner" year, with travel from the United States increasing by almost 30 percent over 1987 in the first six months. To accommodate the visitors, Grenada has doubled the number of hotel and inn rooms now available to about 1,000. Intent on preserving its West Indian flavor, the island has forbidden high-rise hotels. All new structures must stand no higher than a cocoanut palm. The island's largest hotel is the 186-room Ramada Renaissance on Grand Anse beach, the first chain hotel to build since 1983. But new locally owned hotels also have opened, including the 30-room Coyaba on Grand Anse and the small Cassada Bay on Grenada's sister island of Carriacou. With the help of the Organization of American States, the government is moving toward preserving at least 13 percent of Grenada and Carriacou as national parkland. At Grand Etang National Park, a lush tropical forest with a large crater lake, new hiking paths have been cleared and marked. The U.S. Agency for International Development is assisting in the major restoration of Fort George at the entrance to the harbor of the capital of St. George's. It was built by the French in the 1700s in the ongoing battle with the British for control of the island. Other improvements, say officials, include a new digital telephone system aimed at providing direct international dialing, more modern generators for reliable electricity to the main hotel areas and expanded airline service from Miami and New York.
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