Some of the best-known resorts in the 700-island chain, like Atlantis, Paradise Island, were unscathed by the monster storm. So was Nassau, the largest city.
The Bahamas depend heavily on tourism, which supplies half their annual gross domestic product of $5.7 billion, according to the Bahamas Investment Authority. By comparison, tourism brings in 20% of Hawaii's annual GDP and less than 3% of the GDP of the United States. Comito has beachfront property in the Abaco islands but doesn't know how it had fared. Some hotels were providing updates on Facebook. For instance, the owners of Pelican Beach Villas said their oceanfront cottages near Marsh Harbour were completely destroyed and they were evacuated to Nassau by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Firefly Resort Abaco tweeted photos of downed trees and a building with no roof and a collapsed wall.There's also some industry in the area.
“If I were the minister of tourism, I would be strongly supporting an awareness campaign,” said Robertico Croes, who researches small island destinations at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “What is important is that the overall perception continues to be positive.”“One of the best ways that people around the world can show their support and solidarity... is to visit our other islands by air or by cruise ship,” he said.
We can see that!