Tourists Encouraged To Visit To The Bahamas To Aid Hurricane Recovery

TheTravel

Tourists Encouraged To Plan Visit To The Bahamas To Aid Hurricane Recovery

By Mark Lugris

Published Sep 8, 2019

Aside from donations, another way to help the nation rebuild is to plan a visit in the near future since the country’s main industry remains tourism.

Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm, has devastated The Bahamas, leaving 43 people dead and more than 70,000 homeless. To help the islands recover, donations are needed to provide food and shelter to the victims. However, not all parts of the island have been as severely affected. Therefore, another way to help the nation rebuild is to plan a visit in the near future since the country’s main industry remains tourism.

The Bahamas, a coral-based archipelago in the Atlantic, includes more than 700 islands and cays that range from uninhabited to resort-filled. The northernmost, Grand Bahama, and Paradise Island, home to many first-rate hotels, are among the most popular, while scuba divers and snorkelers are drawn to the Andros Barrier Reef, Thunderball Grotto and the black-coral gardens off Bimini.

Although it may seem insensitive to think about enjoying a vacation while thousands struggle to simply survive, the Bahamian economy depends upon tourism, and funds generated by visitors will be vital for the islands to get back on their feet.

Currently, hotels in the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island are closed now, but they only account for 15% of the country’s travel accommodations. The southeastern and central Bahamas have been far less affected by the hurricane, and hotels and resorts in the capital of Nassau and Paradise Island remain open, as do those on most of the country’s other islands and cays, including Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Andros, The Exumas, Cat Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Long Island, Acklins/Crooked Island, Ragged Island, Mayaguana and Inagua.

For travelers that have made plans to go to any of these islands, they should keep their reservations. As of now, Grand Bahama International Airport, Grand Bahama Island's Freeport Harbour and Leonard Thompson International Airport (MHH) in Marsh Harbour, Abaco are closed, but Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) is open. Airlines like Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, United, and Frontier are currently offering the option to change or delay flight bookings in affected areas, with certain terms and conditions applying. Nassau ports are also open to welcome cruise ships, though schedules may have been changed.

In order to donate to help support recovery, readers can consider giving to The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Project Hope, and Americares, among many other humanitarian organizations.