{"id":16067,"date":"2018-06-02T12:03:36","date_gmt":"2018-06-02T16:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=16067"},"modified":"2018-06-02T12:03:36","modified_gmt":"2018-06-02T16:03:36","slug":"caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Caribbean Islands Hit by 2017 Hurricanes Move Closer to Full Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-993129403\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-3692686901\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ce741a73-c70c-446b-af7f-da2abe2b62bb.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p>The Caribbean islands worst hit by 2017\u2019s three devastating storms say that airports, resorts, restaurants and recreation venues are getting ready for the summer travel season, though many islands are still clawing their way back to normal.<\/p><div id=\"antig-778387956\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"level\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/level.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>On a series of conference calls hosted Wednesday by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, tourism representatives from islands like Anguilla, Antigua, St. Martin and St. Maarten gave updates on hotel reopenings, restaurant districts, ports and airports.<\/p>\n<div class=\"relatedarticles\">\n<p><strong>Related Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"section_story\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Anguilla<\/strong><br \/>\nOn Anguilla, lashed by Hurricane Irma\u2019s Category 5 winds and storm surge, 90 percent of the electric grid and government buildings were severely damaged, as was the ferry terminal for boat service to St. Maarten.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1092254217\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-983215945\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"IMG_0040\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0040.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Still, this year, Anguilla has celebrated the reopening of a number of properties, including the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla, which officially reopened Mar. 23; and the 80-unit Reef by CuisinArt, opened Apr. 1.<\/p><div id=\"antig-4047448738\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ReggaeInTheParkAntigua\" aria-label=\"lucanio\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The Quintessence Hotel, a Relais &amp; Ch\u00e2teaux hotel overlooking the Long Bay beaches, opened this January, a few months behind schedule due to the hurricanes. Designed with the look and feel of a tropical grand mansion, the Quintessence offers nine suites and villas with 24-hour butler service, Julian\u2019s, a five-star restaurant, a spa, infinity pool and yoga pavilion.<\/p>\n<p>Anguilla has \u201cwonderfully refreshed product to make us extraordinary,\u201d said Alison Ross, a vice president with the PM Group, representing the Anguilla Tourist Board. She said many of the reopened properties are offering substantial summer promotions, like fifth night free.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1440229110\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>About 90 percent of the island\u2019s restaurants are reopened, Ross said, all sports operators are back in service, and the beaches have been rehabilitated. While many of Anguilla\u2019s annual festivals are scaling back this year, a full schedule of events is set for the remainder of 2018, Ross said, including Anguilla Day, which was being celebrated this Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The original CuisinArt resort, heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma, will reopen on the Rendezvous Bay beachfront, Nov. 1. The Belmond Cap Juluca is currently accepting reservations for its first guests Nov. 17, Ross said.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2492926355\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chtamarketplace.com\/\" aria-label=\"Social FaceBook Cover Desk_Mobile\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:111\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:379\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:285\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:569\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:711\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Social-FaceBook-Cover-Desk_Mobile-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2560\" height=\"949\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Ross noted that she expects all of Anguilla\u2019s pre-hurricane accommodations to be open for the 2018-19 winter season, when the tourist board will make a \u201cmajor push\u201d to promote the island again. As it emerges from the recovery stage, Anguilla will be building activities for younger travelers, Ross said. \u201cWe\u2019re building the new generation of Anguilla travelers.\u201d<\/p><div id=\"antig-1407160638\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Antigua and Barbuda<\/strong><br \/>\nAs most news outlets reported, the entire island of Barbuda was wiped out, while Antigua suffered only minor damage. Colin James, CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, wanted to make certain agents and travelers alike realize that on Antigua \u201call of our hotels are back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Barbuda, two thirds of its 2,000 or so residents have returned to the island, mostly known for being a day trip for Antigua visitors, as it had just a handful of guest houses prior to Irma. Barbuda Belle, a small new property, plans to reopen in November.<\/p>\n<p>More than 200 homes on the island have been repaired, James said, and some of the popular attractions, like Barbuda\u2019s Frigate Bird Sanctuary in the Codrington Lagoon, are beginning to recover, encouraging lines like Windstar Cruises to already schedule the island back on some of its fall itineraries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe birds are back and the vegetation returned remarkably well,\u201d James said, adding that the two islands\u2019 coral reefs and fisheries are also recovering. \u201cThere are times when the lobster beds have to be closed for resources to replenish themselves, but it\u2019s remarkable how nature heals itself. A lot of the beaches where there was severe erosion before, they are well-sanded. The greenery is back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The introduction of more lift from Canada buoyed Antigua\u2019s tourism fortunes over the last six months, driving a 70 percent increase in Canadian travelers to the island. James said Antigua should host more than 40,000 Canadians by the time 2018 wraps up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>St. Martin<\/strong><br \/>\nOn French Saint Martin, which relies on tourism for about 85 percent of its local economy, the majority of hotels were severely damaged, and are only now beginning to set dates to reopen.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the Belmond La Samanna has not set a date to reopen, though it is hoping to do so before the end of the year. The Grand Case Beach Club is taking reservations for guests starting Oct. 1, while the Hotel La Plantation, Esmeralda Resort, and Riu Palace St. Martin are all anticipated to reopen the beginning of November.<\/p>\n<p>Valerie Damaseau, president of the Saint-Martin Office de Tourisme, noted how a variety of small properties, condominiums and villas are open, and anywhere from 60-70 percent of the island\u2019s restaurants have reopened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe never got the chance to emerge from the last hurricane season,\u201d Damaseau said. Only two weeks ago, the local government held a series of meetings to prepare the islands for the coming hurricane season, including plans for shelters and emergency evacuations, if needed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>St. Maarten<\/strong><br \/>\nA somewhat better story is being told on the Dutch side of the same island. Up until May of this year, when the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort reopened, the majority of accommodations were small hotels and condominiums.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking Wednesday, tourism and economic affairs minister Cornelius de Weever said \u201cclose to about 1,200 rooms\u201d are now open, about 31 percent of Saint Maarten\u2019s pre-hurricane inventory. He is forecasting slightly more than half of the island\u2019s rooms will be open by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>For example, the Oyster Bay Beach Resort will reopen June 1 with 85 renovated rooms, a renovated infinity pool, restaurants, spa and gym. The reconstruction of the hotel will be completed in two additional phases, with the whole property back on line around Dec. 1.<\/p>\n<p>On its website, The Royal Islander Club La Plage says that while reconstruction is fully underway, \u201cdue to many challenges beyond our control \u2026 we don\u2019t foresee reopening before Oct. 1, 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other properties will take much longer to renovate. The Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino &amp; Spa is taking reservations for stays beginning Feb. 1, 2019; while the former Sonesta Great Bay Hotel &amp; Casino, purchased by Sunwing Airlines earlier this year, is being demolished and remade as a 450-room Planet Hollywood Resort &amp; Casino that may open by June 2019, de Weever said.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the terminal building of the Princess Juliana International Airport is still so severely damaged that, up until recently, arriving airline passengers walked off their planes to a white wedding-style tent for immigration processing. Full reconstruction is not expected until late Q4 of this year, or early 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the airport and lodging damage, de Weever said that carriers are experiencing 90 percent load factors into Saint Maarten, and new small airlines are scheduled to start serving the airport this summer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How will the Caribbean hold up this hurricane season?<\/strong><br \/>\nAs the 2018 hurricane season begins, tourism board executives and others attending the update calls said that their islands have incorporated what they learned from 2017 into their reconstruction and their disaster planning.<\/p>\n<p>Saint Maarten is still in the middle of its rebuilding process, de Weever said. Building codes are being reviewed, \u201cand as we move forward, we will have more resilient buildings.\u201d The island is also hosting preparedness workshops, increasing the number and quality of shelters for storing emergency supplies, and securing plans for getting tourists on the first available flights in the event of another hurricane.<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda recently convened a disaster planning meeting, and the islands have made changes to their disaster preparedness and recovery plans based on what they learned from Irma.<\/p>\n<p>For example, shelters have been reinforced and building codes have been improved, said James. Previously, shelters were designed for residents to go to temporarily to ride out storms for a few hours. Now they are equipped with kitchens and bathrooms to support residents and tourists for at least a couple of days.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe whole focus is to preserve life and protect property, and restore services as quickly as possible,&#8221; James said.<\/p>\n<p>Ross said that on Anguilla, as the hotels were rebuilt, they did so with direction from what they learned from the experience of Hurricane Irma. She said a lot of the properties will close in September and reopen in October.<\/p>\n<p>On Saint Martin, \u201cwe are doing what is necessary to put our island back on track. Life continues, and we can only be the resilient people that we are,\u201d said Damaseau. Each district is implementing stronger building codes, she said. \u201cWe are very, very strict now.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-1925010341\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Caribbean islands worst hit by 2017\u2019s three devastating storms say that airports, resorts, restaurants and recreation venues are getting ready for the summer travel season, though many islands are still clawing their way back to normal. On a series of conference calls hosted Wednesday by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, tourism representatives from islands like [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16020,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Caribbean Islands Hit by 2017 Hurricanes Move Closer to Full Recovery - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Caribbean Islands Hit by 2017 Hurricanes Move Closer to Full Recovery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Caribbean islands worst hit by 2017\u2019s three devastating storms say that airports, resorts, restaurants and recreation venues are getting ready for the summer travel season, though many islands are still clawing their way back to normal. On a series of conference calls hosted Wednesday by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, tourism representatives from islands like [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-02T16:03:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/storm.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"Caribbean Islands Hit by 2017 Hurricanes Move Closer to Full Recovery\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-06-02T16:03:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-06-02T16:03:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\"},\"wordCount\":1417,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:960\/h:540\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/storm.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/caribbean-islands-hit-by-2017-hurricanes-move-closer-to-full-recovery\/\",\"name\":\"Caribbean Islands Hit by 2017 Hurricanes Move Closer to Full Recovery - 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