Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria came and went, but the destinations they affected—Houston, Southeast Texas, Southwest Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and others—continue on the road to recovery. Many of the destinations, convention centers, hotels and resorts damaged in Houston and Florida are back online or making significant progress. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean have an especially difficult road ahead.
Following is a look at how Puerto Rico’s airports, hotels and ports are doing as reported by Puerto Rico Tourism Company on its Puerto Rico Now website. Note that the situation in Puerto Rico is constantly changing on a daily basis, so make sure to visit puertoriconow.seepuertorico.com for the latest updates.
Airports: Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) is fully operational with scheduled domestic and international flights. The following airports were listed as operational and offering limited service at the time of publication: Rafael Hernandez Airport (Aguadilla); Mercedita Airport (Ponce); Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport (Ceiba); Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (Isla Grande); and Antonio Rivera Rodriguez Airport (Vieques).
Hotels: The following hotels were open and accepting reservations at the time of publication (note that services on the island are still limited): Best Western Condado Palm Inn & Suites; Cielo Mar Hotel; Cofresi Beach Hotel; Combate Beach Hotel; Condado Vanderbilt Hotel; Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach; DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Juan; Estancia La Jamaica; Holiday Inn Mayaguez; Hotel El Convento; Howard Johnson Mayaguez; La Concha Resort; Mayaguez Resort & Casino; Parador Boquemar; Parador Guanica 1929; Parador Villa Parguera; and San Juan Airport Hotel.
Ports: San Juan Harbor reopened and has resumed homeporting operations. Beyond San Juan, the following ports were open with certain travel restrictions at the time of publication: Guayanilla; Tallaboa; Salinas; Fajardo; Culebra; Vieques; Guayama; and Mayaguez.
According to FEMA’s website, there are three ways that the public can most effectively and efficiently provide support for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: donating cash, donating goods and volunteering.
The best way to help is with cash donations to trusted organizations or directly to United for Puerto Rico.
For more updates on Puerto Rico's road to recovery visit:
www.MeetingsToday.com/DisasterUpdate