SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the world's most tourism-dependent regions.

Clear waters and warm sand attracted a record 31.5 million tourists to the Caribbean in 2019, but visits plummeted by an estimated 60% to 80% as the pandemic hit last year. That's devastating for a region whose countries depend heavily on visitors for income.

"Many countries prefer hurricanes compared to what has happened with the pandemic," said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, a former Bahamian tourism minister who also led the Car...