Hurricane Ivan has caused massive damage to parts of the Caribbean and has lead the CTO to issue a statement expressing ‘deep regret’ at the loss of life and damage to property.The statement read; The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) wishes to express our deep regret at the tragic loss of life and extensive damage suffered by Grenada and the Bahamas due to the passage of Hurricane Ivan on Tuesday and Hurricane Frances last week.We extend our sincerest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the governments and people of Grenada and the Bahamas.

We also wish to express our concern to the Governments and peoples of other CTO member countries Barbados, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, which have been impacted by Ivan.

As you are aware, Grenada suffered severe damage and in the aftermath of this terrible disaster the challenge is to alleviate the suffering and to return to normal as quickly as possible. Telephone service is limited and communication with the country remains a major challenge. CTO will continue to monitor the situation and will update you on the state of the tourism sector there as soon as information becomes available.

As of late this morning, other CTO member states impacted by Hurricane Ivan continue their assessments but most have reported minimal damage to the tourism infrastructure. The Bahamas also continues to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Frances.

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