By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s looking to be a very Merry Christmas for the Caribbean.

With a quick rebound from this fall’s hurricanes, the Caribbean’s hotel industry is reporting a surge in holiday bookings, according to the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.

The CHTA said it canvassed a number of destinations to see how they are faring for the holidays and into the first quarter of 2018, according to Frank Comito, CEO and Director General of the CHTA.

The results are “encouraging,” he said, with all signs pointing to a surge in holiday bookings.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Furthermore, most indicated that forward bookings into the first quarter of 2017 are equaling or surpassing 2017.

Several destinations also reported that a number of their hotels were sold out over the festive season, including Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Cancun, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and The Bahamas.

The Baoase luxury resort in Curacao.

Turks and Caicos, which was one of the first hurricane-impacted destinations to rebound, fully recovering and opening within weeks following the storms, is reporting occupancies in excess of 90 percent over the holidays and strong first quarter bookings.

“Now is a perfect time to visit and support the Caribbean and to see for yourselves how the resilience of our people offers travelers from around the world an exceptional experience – especially during this winter season and beyond,” Comito said.