Originally published February 17 2005
Tourists consider Caribbean a haven from terrorism threats; visitors flocking to the region in recent months
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Tourists flocked to the Caribbean in 2004 even though the islands in the area were hit by several hurricanes. Many said terrorists, not mother nature, caused most of their vacation worries, and they consider the Caribbean to be relatively safe from terrorism threats. Nearly 22 million people toured the islands last year. That's up 7 percent from 2003.
Despite catastrophic hurricanes, tourist arrivals rose significantly in the Caribbean last year with many travelers saying they consider the region a haven from terrorism and other turmoil, officials said Thursday.
Almost 22 million tourists visited the Caribbean in 2004, a 7% increase from 2003, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization, which conducted a study of its 32 member countries and territories.
The region also received about 20 million cruise ship passengers, a 13% rise, the Barbados-based organization said.
Visitors spent about $21 billion, compared to about $20 billion in 2003, it estimated.
"The region is generally perceived as a relative zone of peace," said Arley Sobers, the organization's director of information management and research.
The decline of the dollar may have encouraged American travelers to head to the islands --- where prices usually are based on the greenback --- instead of Europe, Sobers said.
The number of American visitors rose 7% in 2004, the tourism organization said.
At the same time, a stronger euro made Caribbean vacations more affordable for Europeans, whose numbers increased about 4%, Sobers said.
Arrivals from Canada surged 16%, with most heading to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Caribbean tourism managed a swift recovery from one of its worst hurricane seasons in history, Sobers said.
Four major hurricanes caused at least $5.7 billion in damages in August and September, according to the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
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