Hurricane Tomas came and went and Saint Lucia is already showering visitors viewing its stunning scenery with the storied warmth of its citizens.

Saint Lucia’s Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Senator Allen Chastanet is reassuring guests traveling to the island that the legendary hospitality for which the island is known awaits more incoming visitors.

Hurricane Tomas which crossed the island last month, said the Minister, caused temporary inconveniences due to the clean-up of roads and the restoration of power and water supply, “But, the lion’s share of guests were very understanding and are having the time of their lives with us in Saint Lucia.”

In addition to the immediate infusion of business provided by visitors, Minister Chastanet spoke of other benefits provided by Saint Lucia’s guests: “Seeing tourists enjoying themselves in our country boosts our morale as we complete the clean-up duties and settle in for the longer-term tasks of building a more resilient Saint Lucia. Tourism is our business and we are grateful to the many clients who have chosen not to cancel, but to travel as planned or reschedule their itineraries as testimony to our brand and uniqueness.”

On Friday, the water company (WASCO) reported that some residents in the north of the island awakened to the sight of pipe-borne water flowing into their homes as crews opened up the valves late on Thursday to activate the system.

“We would like to thank WASCO for their commitment to both our local communities and our tourism sector in getting us back on our feet in the shortest possible time,” said Guy Joseph, Minister of Communications and Works, who also thanked local communities and guests for their patience as WASCO ramps up its water pressure across the island.

The Saint Lucia Tourist Board reassured guests that there were well stocked supplies of bottled water for drinking across Saint Lucia’s hotels, but as an extra conservation measure asked guests to restrict water use when showering and for basic hygienic purposes as the pressure builds up throughout the system in the next few days.

“Thanks to the state-of-the-art water purification systems and emergency storage tanks used by hotels to reduce their reliance on the country’s main water supply, we are delighted to remind the traveling public that most of our hotels and resorts are indeed open for business,” stated Director of Tourism, Louis Lewis.