Hotels After the Hurricanes: How Are They Healing?

Vacationing on the placid waters of the Caribbean—from the coral reefs of Belize, the perfect windswept beaches of Mexico’s Yucatan and the French West Indies, to the pulsing nightlife and crooning jazz tunes of The Big Easy—it’s hard to imagine the annihilating wrath of the hurricanes that sweep through every year. And this year—as we’ve all been witness—has been especially destructive. After the devastating damage of Katrina and Wilma, reconstruction efforts must begin anew in these tourism-dependent regions. Relief pours into New Orleans, but it’ll be a long time until the city and its inhabitants recover. In the preliminary stages, most hotels have begun reparation work, and expect 2006 reopenings. Wikipedia presents a thorough analysis of the sustained damage, including criticism of the initial relief efforts. In the Yucatan, the coastal resorts (which account for almost half of Mexico’s $11 billion yearly tourism revenue) are not expected to reopen for at least two months. Many will not be ready until Easter week. The island of Cozumel was even harder hit—many of the cruise ship piers were entirely destroyed. Heard any more news? Let me know. (Read one reporter's account of Wilma's wrath.)