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- “Tourism contributes greatly to the Puerto Rican economy and can catapult Puerto Rico, its residents and its businesses forward,”
- Whether you spend time volunteering for a week or simply relaxing, rest easy knowing you made the right choices with your tourism dollars and actually made a positive impact on the community you visited.
As we rapidly approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which devastated many of the Caribbean islands, the most important thing to know is that many of them are ready for tourists to come back.
Tourism is the main source of revenue for much of the region and while we are are in the midst of hurricane season right now, this is the best time to start planning an island getaway for the upcoming holidays.
Warm weather, white sand beaches and crystalline water are usually enough to lure anyone away from home, but if you need a bit more incentive, here are three more reasons to start looking for flights.
Your vacation dollars really do make a difference
According to Discover Puerto Rico, the best way to help Puerto Rico is simply by visiting, shopping at local stores, eating at the Island’s restaurants and staying at its hotels. “Tourism contributes greatly to the Puerto Rican economy and can catapult Puerto Rico, its residents and its businesses forward,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. “This progress will continue thanks to our future guests, because visiting the Island is the best way to be a part of the incredible turnaround.” What might just seem like an indulgence to you, is truly a contribution towards economic development.
While much of Puerto Rico was left without electricity and running water for many months after the hurricane, several hotels are now open and ready for business. In Condado, affectionately known as the South Beach of Puerto Rico, the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is the nearly 100-year old grand dame that sits on beachfront property.
With a socially conscious Michelin-starred chef in charge of 1919, their fine dining restaurant, dishes utilize products that are local, artisanal, homemade and more unique than ever now as the hurricane completely altered the terrain and agriculture in the area, creating more options than before.
The newest boutique hotel that opened just a few months ago, the Serafina Beach Hotel, is Instagram friendly with an ambiance that is ‘decidedly adult-oriented’ according to their website, especially on weekends when they have their Serafina Happenings consisting of DJ’s, happy hours and adult activities.
For a more relaxed vibe and a taste of history, opt for a stay in Old San Juan. Hotel El Convento dates back to 1646, a convent made by the orders of King Phillip IV of Spain, it’s the oldest member of Historic Hotels of America and is located across from the Cathedral of San Juan, the most popular of the Island’s 3,000+ churches. Meander the historic center’s streets and dine at Marmalade and then follow the long line of locals for dessert at Señor Paleta.
Luxury hotels are being good global citizens
Sustainability is no longer a buzz word. After experiencing the sheer wrath of mother nature, it’s only natural that hotels rebuild and operate with sustainability top of mind. On St. Barth, where luxury abounds, Hotel Manapany is the first eco-resort to hit the island. The newest hotel from the B Signature Hotels and Resorts, the Manapany boldly states ‘Clean and green are our promises’ on their website.
The resort produces its own water, uses solar power to generate electricity and only uses electric cars to get around the property and as guest rentals. The hotel’s organic garden provides produce while local fishermen deliver fresh fish daily. They are currently closed, but taking reservations for when the season opens in November, so book now to snag one of the 43 suites.
If you’re traveling with the family seek a Sandals Resort. While maybe best known for being the all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, the company invests heavily in the local communities where they do business.
All 24 Sandals resorts across the Caribbean are required to adopt schools and, in some cases, entire communities to ensure that the message of health, safety, environmental concern and opportunity is filtered throughout. From procuring new computer labs and building additional classrooms, to funding scholarships for top performing students and hosting career days, resort staff members continually share their resources with the Caribbean’s youth.
You can chase waterfalls-and give back
Sometimes you just want to lay on a beach or go for a hike. That may seem like a guilty pleasure if you’re doing it on one of the islands that was destroyed less than a year ago. The solution? Start your trip by volunteering with All Hands and Hearts, a disaster recovery organization that will provide room and board in exchange for your manual labor.
In the US Virgin Islands, severe wind and flood damage reduced many areas to rubble, so volunteers can undertake mucking-and-gutting, debris removal, sanitation and school rebuild projects on the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. In the British Virgin Islands, the island of Tortola was devastated by the hurricanes, so volunteers are focused on restoring severely damaged education facilities.
Perhaps one of the most unique opportunities, the island of Dominica is off-the-beaten path for Caribbean travel. Lush, green and mountainous, Dominica is known as the nature island. Volunteers work diligently during the week and spend weekends touring the islands beaches and hiking to waterfalls.
