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After Initial Impact of September Attacks, Hopes of Upturn in Caribbean Tourism
Wednesday, October 31, 2001
Latin America Newsletters

For all this, it must be noted that what almost everyone was talking about was not a net decline, but a fall in rates of growth.

Belizean prime minister Said Musa was almost apologetic when he told us last week that the September attacks might end up having a positive effect on the Caribbean tourist trade -- on the grounds that US tourists would tend to travel to nearby destinations.

Immediately after the attacks, the outlook for the industry looked quite grim, with airlines reporting losses, and almost every country reporting a decline in arrivals and hotel occupancy.

Arrivals to the Dominican Republic fell by 16.4% in September and hotel occupancy fell to 50%. The national association of hotels and restaurants, Asonahores, calculated that they would lose about US$60m as a result of the downturn.
(More: Latin American Economy & Business News Source)
2001 © Latin America Newsletters.

Dan