Sun, Sand, History and Helping Out

Right around the holiday season and the first snowfall, thoughts often turn to warm weather vacations. For generations, the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico have been choice spots given their easy access and numerous family-friendly resorts and attractions. As many of these regions still recover from the catastrophic effects of last year’s and this year’s storms, some may wonder if the area is safe and ready to take visitors. In many cases, the answer is “yes,” with some interesting conditions.

In fact, in spite of the damage caused by Category 5 Hurricane Maria last year, Puerto Rico has made an incredible comeback in the past year, with cruise visits 13 percent higher than they were before the hurricane. Even with that good news, the best way to help Puerto Rico and others affected by recent hurricanes is by visiting and injecting tourism dollars into the economy.

Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria One Year Anniversary. Humacao Punta Santiago © Discover Puerto Rico

Although many resorts and communities have been rebuilt since last year’s events, negative coverage in the media impacted perceptions of the island, leading some to believe it wasn’t ready. In order to counteract the resurfacing of dated imagery on the anniversary of the hurricane, the island’s newly formed non-profit Discover Puerto Rico, along with the social media initiative #CoverTheProgress, supports the promotion of tourism to foster economic growth and showcase the milestones leading the island through one of this year’s greatest tourism comebacks.

As part of this initiative, local members of one of the island’s hardest hit communities, Humacao, (which became known when its S.O.S. aerial image went viral in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria) changed that aerial image to permanently read, “Bienvenidos!” This, in turn, reminded travelers one of the best ways to support Puerto Rico is by visiting. Families interested in volunteering once on the island can visit the website of non-profit environmental conservation group Para La Naturaleza, focused on reforesting Puerto Rico after hurricanes Irma and Maria with its Tree Nursing Maintenance program. The goal is to plant 750,000 endemic and native trees in the next seven years.

Santurce before © Discover Puerto Rico

Santurce after © Discover Puerto Rico

Several local hotels encourage guests to get involved. For example, The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort, near the El Yunque rain forest in Puerto Rico, will coordinate transportation for and send packed lunches with guests who sign up to volunteer in the park. Duties may include trail work, painting and surveys and travelers must request a volunteer application and agreement in advance by email.

Those preferring winter cruises may want to consider booking on the Dec. 16 sailing on Celebrity Edge. It offers a Give Back to the La Perla Community excursion. Passengers spend a day in Old San Juan’s historic La Perla community while volunteering at the local community center (attending to the elderly) and the Hogar Padre Venard homeless outreach shelter.

In the Florida Keys, affected by Hurricane Irma, volunteers can send an email here to volunteer to clean debris from the National Key Deer Refuge, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Refuge that provides vital habitat for endangered Key deer.

Although Hurricane Florence arrived on the Carolinas’ shores this September, tourism factored into the area’s healing process. Visit North Carolina and Discover South Carolina and communities, visitors and residents banded together the #CAREolinas mission to raise funds and encourage tourism. The sites also publish special fundraising by local hotels, resorts and attractions. At Visit North Carolina, for example, you can find a special offer for 20 percent off rooms during November and December at Sanderling Resort, with some proceeds supporting Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

In addition to donating directly to each state’s official Florence relief funds (whose links can be found at here), those visiting the area can join the #CAREolinas Facebook group to read up on different volunteer opportunities. While traveling, people are encouraged to tag their social media posts with #CAREolinnas to show the area is still welcoming visitors with open arms.

Taxi driver, by Convention Center © Discover Puerto Rico