I think the reason the devastation is not exactly being covered up, rather than minimized, is that the government seems to feel that the tourist sector needs to recover quickly in order to help the island during the "high season" but I am of the opinion that this is not fair to the travelling public. Although the beaches are getting back into some kind of shape and the hotels say they will be ready by Christmas, I do not know what any visitor would do here. There will be no rental cars ad most cars were hit hard by the rising water, some restaurants will open but apart from George Town, no one has power or a steady water supply. And to venture anywhere outside of the GT or 7-mile beach area will be pretty difficult - Bodden Town does not exist anymore, East End is almost closed off, and South Sound is devastation - in fact, they will have to move roads that were ruined or destroyed by the storm. The place will be one large construction site for years!!

The financial sector (us) is up and operating, but a lot of our staff do not have homes anymore and we are trying to find them places to live in condos and places generallly used for daily rentals. But at that, they have to be out of these places in anticipation of Christmas season and visitors for the holidiays. Housing is a huge issue as are cars. There is talk of bringing in cruise ships to house residents as well as workers comihg from abroad to help in re-construction. There is a lot of sadness here right now, although everyone is trying to keep up a good face - I wonder how a visitor would feel about all this.

And the government seems to feel it is better to take care of things rather than go begging for help. We have received very little help from the UK and even the US Coast Guard had to be invited in to help out, and the UK did not do that. When the leader of government business goes to a tourism forum in NYC and tells everyone how well things are going and how we are going to be operating by the end of October, that simply is not the case, and therefore we do not get the outside help we need.

Sorry to be so windy - I am trying to answer a question I do not understand myself.