Post-Irma: Antigua thrives, Barbuda rebuilds

For the first time in 300 years, not one person is left on the island of Barbuda.

After facing devastating blows from Hurricane Irma last week, both Antigua and Barbuda were left reeling, but while Barbuda’s 1,600 residents have totally evacuated, business is slowly creeping back to Antigua and most of the island's beloved hotels and resorts are open for business.

In an exclusive interview with Antigua’s Minister of Tourism Asot Michael, PAX learned that despite circulating media advisories, the island of Antigua is as beautiful and resilient as ever.

“Antigua was blessed with suffering no damage, and escaped the full impact of the hurricane; our people are as warm and welcoming as ever,” Minister Michael said. “I cannot stress this enough: Antigua is open for business. Antigua is back to offering world-class excursions and adventures across Antigua, from Stingray City to zip-lining adventures to safari land tours to cruises, sea circumnavigation and snorkeling tours are available once again. Tour operators have reopened after Hurricane Irma and are providing visitors with unforgettable experiences.”

Despite the hurricane, Antigua's beaches are as blue as ever, and open for business. Photo credit: Flickr, Caribbean Community

With the winter travel season creeping closer, approximately 2,000 of Antigua’s hotel rooms will be available by the end of October, with traditional summer upgrades and renovations throughout resorts following shortly after. Most resorts that are open year-round are already happily welcoming and hosting visitors.

Located 65 kilometres from Antigua, Barbuda was directly in line with Hurricane Irma’s path of destruction, and accumulated the brunt of the hurricane’s blows. Approximately 95 per cent of the island is suffering from major structural damage, and devastatingly, much of Barbuda’s breathtaking flora and fauna have been destroyed. Officials estimate the damage to reflect almost $200 million USD. As such, Barbuda is flooded and covered in debris, making it unsafe for locals to return.

“The safety of Barbudans is our highest priority,” Minister Michael said. “With the support of various agencies and friendly governments we have been taking very good care of the Barbudans, and will continue to do so until it is safe for them to return to Barbuda.” Residents are currently being housed in shelters, hotels, and private homes.

The island of Antigua receives most of the tourism traffic, while prior to the hurricane, Barbuda was largely remote, untouched wilderness. Barbuda’s total occupancy spans less than 70 rooms, equating to just one per cent of the nation’s tourism dollars. With Antigua thriving, the Antigua experience remains virtually unaffected. All 365 of Antigua’s beaches are open, and Barbuda’s beaches are expected to reopen in six months time.

While debris still lingers in Antigua, much of Hurricane Irma's wrath was felt in Barbuda. Relief efforts are underway to restore both islands. Photo credit: Flickr, Caribbean Community

In just under two weeks, the Caribbean has been ravaged by a series of powerful tropical storms and hurricanes - Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Katia, Tropical Storm Lee, and now, Hurricane Maria.

As Minister Asot Michael assures PAX, Antigua and Barbuda are resilient, and ready.

“The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has taken all precautionary steps to avert harmful after-effects on the islands by mobilizing agencies to remove any debris that could block the flow of floodwater that may fall during the passage of Maria,” Minister Michael said. “At the same time, the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) are coordinating with the National Office for Disaster Services (NODS) to cement their contingency plans to help those who may fall into distress should Maria have ill-effects on the state. The Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force are also in a state of readiness. Residents and hotel properties across the islands have taken every precaution to secure life and protect their properties, as safety remains the highest priority.”

Relief efforts are underway for Barbuda, with many international governments, donors and the general public stepping in to help. Rebuilding Barbuda will take time, but it will happen soon enough. “The relatively small size of the population [of Barbuda] and the fact that everyone has since been evacuated to Antigua allows the restoration and rebuilding to go forward at a rapid pace,” Minister Michael said. “While total rehabilitation of Barbuda could take longer, we expect that within six months, with the help of friendly countries and agencies, restoration of basic services and utilities could allow for residents to begin to return on a phased basis.”

Donations and aid continue to pour into Antigua and Barbuda, and although these contributions are making an immense difference already, Michael is adamant that one tactic in particular is the ultimate solution.

“Antigua was blessed that it suffered no major damage and was opened later in the day after Irma passed,” Michael said. “It remains the paradise it always was, and is open and warmly welcoming tourists from around the world. Tourism is the lifeblood of our economy, and by visiting, each and every person is helping us support and fund the rebuilding of Barbuda. Every dollar spent in Antigua by visitors will go a long way to help the country fully recover from Hurricane Irma.”