CHTA stands in solidarity with Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic

The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) said on Tuesday that it was standing in solidarity with the resilient people of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as they recover from the effects of Hurricane Fiona.

Fiona initially made landfall in Puerto Rico’s southwestern region, causing flooding in remote and rural areas of the island, before affecting the eastern part of the Dominican Republic.

As reported, the main airport, Luis Muñoz Marín Airport in San Juan (SJU), has already reopened and we have full confidence in the ability of the people of Puerto Rico to restore normalcy in their beautiful territory.

“We are committed to hosting both the inaugural CHTA Caribbean Travel Forum and the 40th Caribbean Travel Marketplace in San Juan, October 3-5, 2022, and look forward to seeing our friends and business associates at the dynamic face-to-face sessions planned for the event,” the CHTA said in the statement.

The CHTA also extended prayers and support to those who have been impacted, including the island of Guadeloupe, and others in the storm’s path.

Meanwhile while a small part of the Caribbean has been directly affected by the storm, most of the region’s 30 destinations have not been impacted and we anticipate those which have will be welcoming visitors in the coming days.

A tropical wave to the south east of Barbados now has a 50% chance of formation within the next five days, and could be a threat to some of the islands in the Eastern Caribbean.

Residents in Antigua and Barbuda are being advised to monitor the system which they warn could make a turn to the north.

On its current track however the twin island nation looks unlikely to be directly affected, local met experts say.

The tropical wave is currently located several hundred miles east of the Windward Islands and is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, category three hurricane Fiona, which passed near the twin-island nation last weekend as a tropical storm is now lashing the Turks and Caicos Islands with heavy rains, prompting the government to impose a curfew.

It is still bringing heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding to eastern parts of the Dominican Republic. 

Fiona also dumped around 12 inches of rain on Guadeloupe and more than three on Antigua.

Another tropical disturbance – not expected to impact the Caribbean and currently in the central Atlantic – is expected to become the next named storm of the season. If it does it will be named Gaston.