St Lucia "open for business"

Officials have reassured British holidaymakers that St Lucia is "open for business" after Hurricane Dean passed nearby the Caribbean island.

The island's director of tourism, Maria Fowell, said that airports in the north and south of St Lucia were now open and that extra services would be put in place to help delayed passengers.

Hurricane Dean passed by the north of Caribbean island on Friday (August 17th) and has since hit Jamaica. It is expected to reach Mexico in the near future.

However, some services on St Lucia were affected and Ms Fowell said that all roads affected by landslides have now been cleared and are passable. In addition, electricity has been restored throughout the island.

Allen Chastanet, minister for tourism and civil aviation on St Lucia, said: "We are pleased to announce that St Lucia is indeed open for business.

"Our prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the eastern Caribbean who have been affected by this storm and those in the central and western Caribbean who are preparing for its passage over the next few days."

Ms Fowell concluded: "We're thankful that the island is back to full operational capacity, due in part to the spirit of the St Lucian people and the fact that the hurricane passed the island in its early stages."

Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer flights to St Lucia from the UK.

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