The private hotel and tourism sector in Saint Lucia is preparing a coordinated relief strategy to assist Caribbean countries impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) Chief Executive Officer, Noorani Azeez, told reporters on October 29 that the organisation had already received a communiqué from its parent body, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), outlining the activation of its disaster relief fund.
“We have already shared that with our board of directors and we are mounting a strategy on how we can roll that out to other caring members of the organisation and other Saint Lucians who may be interested in making donations towards this recovery,” Azeez stated.
The SLHTA, which represents more than 200 members, plans to coordinate its relief efforts under the guidance of experts and assessments carried out by Jamaican authorities and international partners. According to Azeez, relief resources will likely be aligned through the CHTA “to ensure the assessments support the needs [and] the gaps are filled with a more targeted approach.”
He noted that while some SLHTA members have hotel brands operating in Jamaica and other affected destinations, the association believes that working through the CHTA provides a more organised and effective structure for mobilising private sector aid.
“Even though we have some members of the organisation whose brands are going to feel the brunt of that impact in Jamaica and in other destinations, we believe that the alignment with the CHTA is a bit more structured and a bit more organised for us as a private sector,” Azeez explained.
Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica as a record-setting Category 5 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 185mph — the strongest hurricane ever recorded to hit the country. The storm later moved over Cuba and Haiti as a Category 3 hurricane before impacting parts of The Bahamas.
At least 34 people have been reported dead across the region. Images emerging from the hurricane’s path show widespread structural and landscape damage.
As regional tourism stakeholders prepare to contribute to recovery efforts, Azeez said Saint Lucia and the SLHTA are ready to play their part.
“Saint Lucia and the SLHTA are not newbies in circumstances of this nature. In the past we’ve provided support for relief to Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent, and now we’re readying ourselves for what promises to be the greatest demand on our resources,” he stated.
