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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 77147, member: 636"]
Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told a Caribbean Tourism Organization fundraiser that mega-storms just became the new normal after Hurricane Melissa racked up losses somewhere between 28 and 32 percent of his country's GDP, with some estimates pushing past ten billion bucks in damage. The guy said travel and tourism prop up more than 30 percent of regional economies while directly or indirectly keeping 300,000 Jamaicans employed, and he wants the sector to lead national recovery just like it did after past hurricanes.

Haiti deputy tourism official Innocent Junior Richard showed up after spending two days reaching the event instead of two hours because Melissa wrecked transport links, and he pushed attendees to cut checks for relief efforts while saying his country refuses to get defined by disasters. The fundraiser raised cash from sponsors like Barbados and the US Virgin Islands to help tourism workers affected by the storm.

Bartlett mentioned the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre needs to shift from symbolic resilience talk to actual preparedness since climate change keeps escalating Atlantic basin storm intensity.
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