Villas are housing units constructed by wealthy foreigners usually for the purpose of retirement or vacation. Villas constituted the back-bone of the residential tourism industry in Montserrat. As a result of the eruption, some villas were destroyed. Other villas were left unattended as the foreigners lost interest in vacationing on Montserrat because of the dangers associated with the erupting volcano. Today, existing villas provide housing for volcano enthusiasts and other visitors interested in the rebuilding of Montserrat, as well as remaining ex-patriots.

a 25-year resident of Montserrat:
“…a great place for people to invest…”

Some Dickinson students said, “Staying in the villas for the second week was our reward,” and others, “The villas were awesome, plain and simple. The quality of housing here was great.”

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