The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) last night confirmed that most tourist properties throughout The Bahamas suffered relatively minor damage, with the exception of properties in Grand Bahama and Andros.

The BHTA said New Providence properties reported some roof damage, significant damage to landscaping and in certain cases, issues with water intrusion.

The association also reported that some marinas were significantly damaged. In a statement issued yesterday, the association declared that most of The Bahamas is "open for business" and that hotels "are already beginning to see visitors return to enjoy the beauty and hospitality which The Bahamas offers."

The BHTA reported that it was assisting with the collection of data from hotel properties in order to gain insight into the status of the overall tourism product. Said the statement, "Thus far reports show that most of the properties throughout the Islands of the Bahamas suffered relatively minor damage, with the exception of properties in Grand Bahama and Andros.

New Providence based properties reported some damage to roof structures; more significant damage to landscaping and in certain cases, issues with water intrusion, we have received reports where Marinas were significantly damaged."

The association added, "Most hotels in The Bahamas are open for business. Some hotels which are closed at this time to conduct regularly scheduled maintenance are taking advantage of this period to repair any damage incurred during the Hurricane."

Meanwhile, BHTA President Stuart Bowe -- recently awarded Caribbean Hotelier of the Year -- asserted that overall, The Bahamas fared relatively well, "with the exception of Grand Bahama and Andros, where the impact of Hurricane Matthew was felt the most."

"The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association continues to liaise with the Ministry of Tourism and partner organizations to gather and distribute information key to recovery efforts including but not limited to protocol for providing relief supplies to affected areas, in a manner which would meet requirements for relief of customs duty, VAT (value-added tax) and processing fees.

We are committed to doing our part to aid in the recovery efforts of our industry partners in Grand Bahama and Andros, and look forward to the date in time when they are open and 100 percent operational once again, welcoming guests to their establishments," he said.

According to the statement, the BHTA, working with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's Crisis Management Team, was actively engaged with the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (GBITB), Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board (BOIPB) and Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) and Nassau Airport Development Co. Ltd (NAD) -- among others -- in an effort to assist with the dissemination of information before, during and after the hurricane.

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