Acapulco Races to Restart Tourism After Hurricane Otis Devastates Its Hotels, Restaurants María Verza - The Associated Press
go to original November 20, 2023

Docked yachts damaged by Hurricane Otis are seen, in Acapulco, Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. Nearly three weeks after the Category 5 hurricane devastated this Pacific port, leaving at least 48 people dead and the city's infrastructure in tatters, the cleanup continues. (Marco Ugarte/Associated Press)

The keyboard and drums from a musical show thump just yards from a mountain of storm debris and fractured hotels left by Hurricane Otis three weeks ago. On the northern end of Acapulco Bay, hairdressers and masseuses sweep branches from a beach.

Across the Pacific resort of Acapulco, residents work with a singular purpose: restart the tourism engine of this city of 1 million people as soon as possible.

“If there’s no tourism, nothing happens,” said Juan Carlos Díaz, a 59-year-old laborer waiting for food distributed by soldiers. “It’s like a little chain, it generates (money) for everyone.”

Otis, a Category 5 hurricane that smacked Acapulco on Oct. 25, damaged 80% of its hotels and 95% of its business, as well as leaving at least 48 people dead, 26 missing and impacting about 250,000 families, according to government data. Residents are striving to ensure the devastation is not a knockout blow to the once-legendary resort.

Since Acapulco's golden era during the latter half of the 20th century – when Jackie and John F. Kennedy honeymooned here and Elvis Presley and other stars visited – the rise of other destinations like Cancun combined with organized crime to drive away international visitors.

But the city still had a devoted following of Mexican tourists who came for its beaches and nightlife. It had been hosting sporting events and major business gatherings, including an international mining conference that was in town when Otis hit. The resort boasted 20,000 hotel rooms, 377 hotels and a bevy of other vacation accommodations.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised that Acapulco will be ready to receive visitors this holiday season, if in reduced numbers , but not everyone believes it. Most think it will take the city a year or two to come back from Otis’ devastation.

Read the rest at ABC News

Related: More Than 150,000 Tons of Garbage Have Been Collected in Acapulco (Quadratin Guerrero)

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