Comment: Caribbean needs our care

Occasionally, the timing of these editions coincides with events that throw our subjects into even sharper focus.

With the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma still being assessed, we gave close consideration to whether this week’s Caribbean special should be postponed.

But after discussions with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, we agreed that now was precisely the time to press ahead, reporting not only on the current state of affairs, but reminding us all of the role travel and tourism will play in the rejuvenation of the worst-affected areas.

Of course, significant parts of this beautiful region were largely unaffected by the hurricane. For those areas, the travel trade will have a key role to play in ensuring that customers are aware that they are very much open for business. You can find out more in the pages ahead.

Just as the industry has a huge role to play in helping the Caribbean recover from its latest challenge, so it is also aiming to create a positive legacy from another, very different, tragedy.

This week I was honoured to join industry leaders for the launch of the Safer Tourism Foundation, which was set up following the tragic deaths of Christi and Bobby Shepherd in Corfu in 2006.

The safety and security of customers is paramount, and this latest effort to reduce the number of preventable deaths, injuries and illnesses overseas deserves our full support.