“Your visit to our islands is more important now than ever. By coming to the Caribbean you will be contributing to our assistance to our fellow islands who are still recovering.” So writes Allen Chastanat, prime minister of St Lucia, on the dedicated post-hurricane website caribbeanisopen.com.

As the region, which receives more than 25 million tourists a year, enters peak holiday season, authorities are reiterating the message put out immediately after September’s devastating hurricanes: that the Caribbean is open for business. Hurricanes Irma and Maria tore across the northern Caribbean causing devastation in 12 out of 32 countries. “The message is partly geographical: 70% of islands were unaffected,” says Verne Augustin, operations manager, Caribbean Tourism Organisation.

In most of the 12 affected countries, including Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, recovery has been speedy and hotels are back up and running. But things are different on those islands that took the full brunt of the storms, where the clean-up operation and rebuilding will take months or, in Barbuda’s case, more than a year. This is how the worst-affected islands are faring:

Anguilla

Anguilla, where an array of hotels and guesthouses are planing to reopen for the Christmas period. Photograph: James Schwabel/Alamy

“Hurricane Irma pressed the pause button, but we aren’t on pause,” reads the message on irma.ivisitanguilla.com. The island will be open for Christmas, but not at full capacity. Around 30 small hotels, apartments and guesthouses have reopened (or are planning to) ahead of the peak winter and Christmas season. The island’s iconic resort, Belmond Cap Juluca, is closed for a year of renovations.



Barbuda

The worst-hit island: more than 90% of buildings were destroyed and the majority of evacuees have yet to return. It’s estimated the clean-up will take a year, minimum. With just 100 hotel rooms, the tourism impact for the region was minimal.

• caribbeantravelupdate.com

British Virgin Islands

Its 64 tropical islands took a catastrophic hit from Hurricane Irma, crippling the tourism industry. Since then, the BVI has lost $16m in government revenue. A huge salvage operation is under way but most accommodation won’t open until 2018. As a sailing destination, the islands have worked tirelessly on replacing fleets after 80% of its boats were destroyed. The country’s biggest boat charter businesses, Sunsail and The Moorings, are due to reopen on 9 December.

• bvitourism.com

Dominica

Aerial view of Roseau, capital of the Caribbean island of Dominica, showing destruction on 21 September, 2017, three days after the passage of Hurricane Maria. Photograph: Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Maria left 85% of homes damaged and 25% destroyed, but some hotels have reopened and the island has launched a voluntourism scheme through Cobra Tours (cobrayachtagent@gmail.com) and Cool Breeze Tours (coolbreezetours9@gmail.com) to restore major attractions: the Indian River and the Waitukubuli national trail. 35% of reefs at the island’s dive sites were damaged and dive businesses remain closed. The government has declared Carnival, Mas Domnik 2018, open (12-13 Feb).

• dominicaupdate.com

Puerto Rico

The recovery effort continues. The main airport is operational and other airports have a limited service. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, 72% of hotels are open.

• puertoriconow.seepuertorico.com

US Virgin Islands

The islands were hit by both hurricanes and damage on two of the three main islands (St Thomas and St John) was extensive. On St John, work to restore infrastructure and reopen the Virgin Islands national park has started. The Buccaneer hotel on St Croix is accepting guests and the first post-storm cruise ship has berthed. The recovery process continues.

• usviupdate.com

More information at caribbeantravelupdate.com

Donations

The CTO Relief Fund, gofundme.com/hurricane-relief-fund-cto

The Caribbean Tourism Recovery Fund, tourismcares.org/caribbean