Prevue November-December 2017 - 14

goodbusiness

Help is On the Way
The hospitality industry rallies to assist victims of Hurricanes Maria & Irma

The 66th RQS Rescue Squadron

T

he Caribbean faced a horrifying
one-two punch this past fall when
Hurricane Irma became a Category
5 and swept across the Caribbean, causing
catastrophic damage in Barbuda, Saint
Barts, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Anguilla
and the US Virgin Islands, as well as the
Florida Keys, only to be followed by another
Category 5, Hurricane Maria, the worst to
strike Dominica in its recorded history and
the worst in Puerto Rico since 1928.

Cruise Industry Takes Action
The cruise industry was in a position to
make an immediate difference, and all
of the major lines (Carnival Cruise Line,
Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise
Line) scrambled to help. Royal Caribbean
International immediately mobilized the
Adventure, Majesty and Empress of the
Seas ships to provide provisions and help
with evacuation efforts. The Adventure
of the Seas delivered essentials such as
water, ice, batteries and medical supplies
to St. Martin/St. Maarten, then took 320

stranded tourists to the ABC Islands. The
at-the-time empty Majesty of the Seas, fully
provisioned and full of fuel, was allocated
to the US Virgin Islands to feed and care
for first responders, then pick up stranded
travelers. Post-Maria, Adventure of the Seas
was again used to transport evacuees from
throughout the Virgin Islands, as well as
from a devastated Puerto Rico.
In the hard-hit Florida Keys, the
Empress of the Seas was the first cruise
ship to sail back into Key West, where bars
and restaurants were open for business but
starving for visitors.
Royal Caribbean, which includes
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club
Cruises, has also set up a website for
donations, and will match donations up to
$1 million to aid hurricane relief efforts.

Caribbean Tourism
Organizations Step Up
The Caribbean Tourism Organization
has established the CTO Relief Fund for
relief efforts in its member countries affected

"Our efforts bring the tourism industry together
to leverage our collective resources, expertise,
influence and compassion."
14 | prevuemeetings.com

by the hurricanes, including St. Martin/St.
Maarten, Dominica, Puerto Rico, the British
Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands. The
site has a goal of $100,000, and all money
collected will be disbursed directly to these
ministries of tourism.
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism
Association has partnered with Tourism
Cares to establish the Caribbean Tourism
Recovery Fund. In a joint statement about
the newly established fund, they said:
"Economic recovery depends on
restoring the industry for a region that
hosts millions of visitors and whose
economy is heavily dependent on travel
and tourism. Our efforts bring the tourism
industry together to leverage our collective
resources, expertise, influence and
compassion."

United Airlines Pitches In
United Airlines has established a
fundraising site for victims of Hurricanes
Harvey, Irma and Maria. United MileagePlus
members who donate a minimum of $50
to any one of the charitable partners listed
(including the American Red Cross and
Humane Society International) will receive
up to 1,000 bonus miles. So far, the airline
has committed over 7 million bonus miles
to customers and matched $300,000
in donations.
United has flown relief flights for those
affected by Hurricane Irma in conjunction
with MillerCoors, delivering water to local
airports. The airline worked with officials
throughout Florida to support recovery
efforts there. In Houston, United donated
its hangar at the George Bush Houston
Intercontinental Airport to FEMA to use for
military and law enforcement operations.
To assist in hurricane relief efforts, visit
the sites below.-Barbara Scofidio
gofundme.com/hurricane-relief-fundcto; tourismcares.org/caribbean;
fundraising.crowdrise.com/
ua-hurricane-relief
http://www.gofundme.com/hurricane-relief-fund http://www.tourismcares.org/caribbean http://fundraising.crowdrise.com/ http://www.prevuemeetings.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November-December 2017
