GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is advising the country’s tourism sector and business community, to review hurricane season preparatory plans in preparation for the peak period of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season which runs from August 15 through October 15.
The tourism sector, business community and also residents are advised to pay keen attention to weather reports with special focus on the Eastern Atlantic Ocean where tropical weather systems that form off the African Coast (Cape Verde Islands) can become a serious threat to the Eastern Caribbean island chain, Fire Chief/National Disaster Coordinator Clive Richardson said on Tuesday.
“Our tourism and business infrastructure experienced a catastrophic hurricane last September and our economy is currently in a fragile phase, but due to resilience of the Sint Maarten community and the business sector, the country is making a comeback as we build back better.
“For those businesses that cater to the tourism and hospitality services, a quick recovery and back to business is essential for the Sint Maarten economy, therefore having a hurricane-business turnaround plan in place will facilitate a quick recovery and back to business,” Richardson emphasized.
At this stage of the hurricane season, tourism-oriented businesses including vacation rental management companies that are back in business should have plans already in place. The prevention of the loss of life of our visitors and staff along with protecting property from damage is the responsibility of every business owner.
The engine of the economy is based on every single business operation on the island. Each one plays a very important role in the country’s tourism-oriented service economy.
As the ODM annual theme says, “It only takes one!” Now is the time for the business community in its entirety as well as residents to review what preparations they have in place, and don’t wait until a storm is about to hit the country to rush preparations.
The hurricane season runs through November 30.
