Today, the second anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico, we write an unusual out-of-the-office announcement.
We’ll be off-the-grid until 28 September, with limited access to email and voicemail.
You see, we’re headed to the Bahamas for a week. We’re not doing disaster relief work, though we applaud and encourage everyone there in that vital role. We’re going for vacation. We’re going to enjoy the Bahamas. We’re going to see and experience the beauty of these islands, and come back and tell everyone all about it and encourage others to go as well.
This sailing and diving trip was booked long before Hurricane Dorian devastated the Abacos and Freeport. We’ll be in Bimini and the southern areas, as untouched by the storm as New York City is when a hurricane hits Florida.
But still, these places, and the Bahamas in general, need our help. They need visitors and tourism dollars, as well as love and attention. We’ll be helping just as so many of our wonderful couples have helped us over the past two years, by trusting us with their special day and business as we’ve rebuilt our lives and our island.
We’re happy to report that, in terms of tourism, Puerto Rico is thriving as we never have before. Great things are happening. New hotels and restaurants are opening, and more people are coming to enjoy the natural beauty of this amazing island every day. Puerto Rico Destination Weddings, Inc., continues to grow as the island’s leader in beautiful, natural, effortless destination weddings and elopements. We’ve added services, locations, and so much more over the past two years.
Today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, our hearts go out to the Bahamian people, who can only be feeling as we did in those initial weeks and months after Hurricane Maria. As survivors of such a life-changing natural disaster, it was challenging. As a local business supporting employees and vendors, it was even more challenging. As a company dependent on tourists and visitors to our island, it was beyond challenging. We knew the island would recover, but we were worried that the words destruction and devastation would become synonymous with Puerto Rico, keeping people from coming to our island and supporting our businesses.
It’s wonderful to donate to the disaster relief organizations doing so much good there. But another way to help is to visit, to plan a vacation, to take your next trip there. Tourism on the more than 700 islands of the Bahamas has taken a huge hit, in a poor country where tourism represents 60% of the GDP. Dollars spent on a vacation there will employ Dorian survivors and keep their local economy and their spirits pumping. And, any tourists will receive the red carpet treatment as they’ll be so grateful and happy to see visitors.
In our first weddings after Hurricane Maria, we never worked so hard and were so appreciative of our clients and their business.
This might be the only post we’ve ever made encouraging folks to visit somewhere other than Puerto Rico. But here goes … Go visit the Bahamas! As one island a few years ahead in her recovery, we know how much the Bahamas needs you. And you’ll have a great time. We certainly will!
So, with that said, we’ll be out of the office without access to phone or email until September 28, 2019. We can’t wait to see and enjoy the Bahamas while supporting their local economy through our tourism dollars.
Have a wonderful week, everyone!