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11th Annual Conch Festival set for November 29th to feature popular food competition and other activities

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands –October 30, 2014 – Plans for the 11th Annual Turks & Caicos Conch Festival, are well underway with a weekend-full of activities on the tropical getaway of Providenciales, home to the World’s Best Beach. The popular beachside event attracts tourists and locals alike to celebrate the islands’ most famous delicacy, historical icon, and number one export…CONCH. The main event will take place on Saturday afternoon (November 29) in the charming Blue Hills area of Providenciales, outside of Three Queen’s Bar & Restaurant.

Friday, November 28: First Annual Calypso Kick-off event.
This year the weekend kicks off with a Calypso event. (More details will be available soon.)

Saturday, November 29: Eleventh Annual Conch Festival
The weekend kicks into high gear on Saturday, November 29 at Noon in the Blue Hills area. The marquee event is the ‘conch-etition’ which pits the island’s best chefs against each other in a hotly-contested tasting competition judged by a panel of experts as well as the Festival attendees. Categories include Best Conch Salad, Best Conch Chowder, Best Specialty Conch and Best in Show. More than 25 restaurants are expected to compete for the cash prizes and bragging rights this year. Tasting begins at Noon and runs until 5PM. . An entry fee of $25 gives Festival-goers a chance to sample all the dishes entered and cast a vote for Best in Show. In addition to the restaurants, the “Home Kitchen” event will take place simultaneously. Home cooks will have a chance to show off their favourite conch recipe and earn a chance to win a cash prize and more. A separate vote will be held in this category and best in show will again be decided by the general public. Home Kitchen participants will receive each receive $75 to help offset the cost of their ingredients. They are urged to bring a BIG pot of their conch recipe so everyone will get a chance to sample what they have prepared.

Major sponsors for this year’s festival so far are Amanyara, Wine Cellar, Villa Del Mar, the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, Discover Card, Alamo Car Rentals and the TC Weekly News with more coming on board every week, plus a host of others lending their support.

Augmenting the always delectable restaurant competitors is the annual Mojito-making contest sponsored by Bacardi where the island’s best bartenders are on display with their creative twists on this classic Cuban cocktail. This year’s event also features the Turks and Caicos’ own world-renowned Junk-a-Noo, plus other local performers.

Special Conch Competitions for conch blowing and other conch related competitions will assure that chefs and bartenders are not the only ones who can win prizes. Plus the biggest prize of all will be the cash prize of $10,000 drawn at 5:30 on the day of the festival by the Rotary Club of Providenciales as part of its annual Pot-of-Gold raffle. Tickets are currently on sale from local Rotarians and at 3 Queens Bar and Restaurant and will be available on the day of the event. However, buying tickets early is highly encouraged because only a limited number are available.

Henry the Conch and a special appearance by Santa will also be on hand to pass out goodies to the kids. A special kids’ area will be set up with games, face painting and more.

The day’s events will culminate with an after party at Zani Bar featuring DJ music by TCI Most Wanted, DJ Shakes and Unstoppable and DJ Vernam dancing into the wee hours of the night. Admission will be: ladies $10, men $20. This is the ONLY Conch Festival sanctioned after party.

About the Conch Festival
The Conch Festival is a family-friendly event with plenty of games and activities for the kids, including kids games on the beach and a showcase of local culture. There will be games on the beach, and a visit from our mascot, Henry the Conch. In 2008 the Conch Festival donated part if its proceeds to help the fishermen of South Caicos recover after Hurricane Ike, in 2011 over $4300 was donated to Clement Howell High School for much needed equipment and supplies and the Conch Festival also supplies water for their sports day every year. A clean drinking water system for Oseta Jolly Primary School is being undertaken with the proceeds from lasts year.

More information on the Conch Festival can be found at www.conchfestival.com.
Contact Dick Bain, President 242 4553 or Joy MacKenzie, Secretary 241-4465 or email tciconchfestival@gmail.com

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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