Show I i Tourism Sam I industry is devastated by Wilma Sam I Enriquez and Carlos Martinez Los Angeles Times Utility workers began fallen power lines Monday bulldozers cleared debris and traffic cops tried to keep order on jammed streets that had just reopened after Hurricane Wilma pounded Mexico's premier resort zone zone The regions region's economic lifeblood the tourism industry was devastated One estimate placed the damage in the hotel sector at 15 billion Residents hoped that repairs went fast enough for hotels to reopen by Christmas the high season when all of the city's rooms are usually filled But some buildings took heavy damage including collapsed walls and roofs so repairs could take months The storm arrived Friday morning and left Sunday before dawn wreaking havoc up and down the Yucatan Peninsulas Peninsula's eastern coast At least seven people were killed Hand crews cleared entrances in the string of luxury beach beachfront front hotels badly damaged by the storm while shop owners arrived at work early to take stock On Monday Adriana Rodriguez started cleaning up the mess Wilma left in Tom Sawyer the shoe store her mother Mercedes Maldonado opened 28 years ago We lost about 2000 pairs of shoes said Maldonado 40 The water outside was as high as the pay phone Now we were we're re going to clean up throw out out everything everything every every- thing that was ruined and go forward Water three feet high flooded the glass display in in front and mold was already growing on loafers and baby shoes well above the floodwaters In the back storeroom store store- storeroom room the water had swamped the lower racks of shoes that stretched the width of f the shop o Maldonado and three employees spent the day moving out store counters and trying try try- ing squeegee the floor clean The day went well Tourists taking refuge in nearby motels bought 15 pairs of her undamaged stock she said Many were tossing out the wet shoes they had been wearing since Hurricane Wilma struck Jesus Almaguer president of the Quintana Roo Hotel told reporters that Cancun could be ready for tourists in m three to four months if it receives support support sup sup- port from the government The area would need as much as million in credit American from institutions like the Inter- Inter Development Bank and the World Bank he said After oil revenues and remittances from migrants tourism is the third-most third important important tant source of Mexican foreign currency for the economy Last year the country received a record million international intern international visitors and tourism accounted for about 8 percent of the nations nation's gross domestic product This year before Wilma government govern govern- ment officials were expecting at least 21 i million international visitors Cancun and the Yucatan beaches are the country's most popular destination One in three foreign tourists to Mexico comes here All All of the hotels have sustained some sort of damage said Ana Patricia Morales vice vice president of the hotels asso asso- The first clear weather in five days raised hopes among tourists that they will final ly be able to go home But the Cancun airport airport air air- port remains closed and portions of the road to Merida about three hours drive west were still partially flooded Lines at the bus station were an hours hour's wait or longer Cars stretched bumper to bumper along the road to hotels as tourists in taxis and buses retrieved t belongings left behind while four nights in they spent as long as makeshift schools gyms and other shelters J 9 l |