A voluntourism initiative has been introduced to help recovery on the hurricane-hit Caribbean island of Anguilla.
It comes as part of a new Anguilla Tourist Board website, created to provide the latest information travel agents, tour operators and visitors planning travel to Anguilla for Christmas and 2018.
Details of accommodation, restaurants and attractions open to visitors is offered alongside proposed re-opening dates for those still undergoing essential repairs.
The site also provides regular updates on the progress of repairs to the island’s infrastructure after it was hit by Hurricane Irma.
An estimated 30 small hotels, condominiums, guesthouses and private villas have already re-opened or plan to open ahead of the peak winter and Christmas season.
Properties that are currently open or preparing to open this month include Ce Blue, Frangipani Beach Resort, Meads Bay Beach Villas, West End Bay Holiday Suites and La Vue.
A number of the larger and five-star properties plan to reopen from mid-2018, including the newly acquired Belmond Cap Juluca, Zemi Beach House, Four Seasons, The Reef and CuisinArt.
A section of the site at Irma.IvisitAnguilla.com is dedicated to
projects available for visitors to ‘adopt’.
These range from hands on initiatives, helping local communities to rebuild and repair schools and care homes, to helping the landscape by sponsoring and planting trees and links to official funding channels for dedicated projects.
Details of projects available will be added regularly to the site.
Anguilla Tourism Board UK, Ireland and Scandinavia director Carolyn Brown said: “We have been touched by the number of people wanting to visit Anguilla to show their support by contributing to the local economy; with others wanting to engage in community projects when they arrive there.
“That’s why we have launched the dedicated site as a helpful tool for travel agents and tour operators planning winter sun itineraries for their clients and for visitors themselves to easily access the latest updates regarding travel to and from Anguilla and what’s available on the Island.
“The site also provides a platform to connect visitors with voluntourism projects and causes in need of support throughout Anguilla.”