| SAN JUAN, Sept 8 (NNN-EFE) — The Bahamas government has asked the world’s tourism industry not to cross the archipelago off its list of vacation destinations, but to help it avoid an economic crisis following the destruction inflicted by Hurricane Dorian, which left 43 known fatalities and the likelihood of many more. The fact is that the archipelago with it almost 400,000 inhabitants lives largely on tourism, and two of the areas affected by Dorian, the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, are together with New Providence, where the capital Nassau is located, the three most successful economies in the Bahamas. For that reason the Bahamas Tourism and Aviation Ministry has urged, according to local media, everyone who planned a trip to the Bahamas before the hurricane struck to stick to their plans, since many of its 24 inhabited islands, except for those hit by the storm, are completely functional and on them normality reigns. In the northwestern Bahamas, Paradise Island with the nation’s capital Nassau, Harbour Island & Eleuthera, Andros, Bimini and the Berry Islands are in perfect condition. Others that weren’t affected were those in the southeast and center of the Bahamas, including Exuma, Cat Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana and Inagua. In all those places kids will be back to school this Monday as usual. “While we are still processing the impact that Hurricane Dorian has had on our country…we appreciate the outpouring of support from citizens around the world, and we ask that you continue to donate, continue to send prayers and continue to visit Nassau, Paradise Island and the Out Islands that were not affected,” said Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Deputy Director Ellison “Tommy” Thompson. He said that except for airports in the stricken areas, everything else is open and operating normally, including hotels, airlines and some cruise ships. For its part, the Bahamas Central Bank believes that despite what happened, economic indicators point to growth in the country in the medium and long term, though in the short term the hurricane will slow the economy. “The unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian to the northern islands of the Bahamas and the disruption in travel itineraries to many airports during this period, will negatively impact the economy in the short-term,” the Central Bank said in a statement. However, “the return to normal conditions in several tourism markets which were not severely impacted, will temper these overall adverse effects,” it added. The bank also warned that “the pace of recovery of hotel room inventory will impact the speed at which the economy returns to normal.” Meanwhile, the official number of deaths rose to 43 in the Abaco Islands (35) and Grand Bahama (8), but with the fear that the true number is in the thousands, as government officials warned this week after verifying how the hurricane had flattened those residential areas. Added to that was the warning by Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands that the health and hygiene of the two places could be in jeopardy over the coming days due to the lack of sanitary conditions and the possible outbreaks of diseases. In a statement released Friday night, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said “we acknowledge that there are many missing and that the number of deaths is expected to significantly increase…This is one of the stark realities we are facing in this hour of darkness.” Meanwhile, the search and rescue operations continue. The US Coast Guard reported that it has saved 290 people up to now following Hurrican Dorian, that six of its helicopters aided by nine ships are carrying out search, rescue and supply of logistic material missions, and that the ports have now been reopened. This US emergency rescue unit is acting in support of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the National Emergency Management Agency- Bahamas. Also providing aid besides the United States are the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and some neighboring countries, among others. But for many of those affected, the aid is not arriving fast enough. — NNN-EFE |
