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Beaches To Host Over 5,900 Travel Agents

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Come fall, travel agents from 20 major cities in the Unites States and Canada will get to experience the Turks & Caicos Islands for themselves, all thanks to a unique partnership between Beaches Resorts Villages and Spa and its Miami based marketing arm, Unique Vacations Inc.

The Travel Agent familiarization tour, cleverly dubbed “Mega Fam” will welcome thousands of top-producing wholesalers and tour operators. “We are delighted to announce that we were able to secure 20 Mega Fam tours for the Turks & Caicos this fall,” said Resort Sales Manager Tanya Swann, “This year’s event will bring over 5,984 top selling wholesalers to our shores to not only showcase our resort but also our beautiful by nature Turks& Caicos as a premiere tourist destination.”

The annual tour has already experienced a whopping success and has proven profitable for both the resort and the Turk & Caicos Islands. Departure Lounge Manager Michelle Parker has seen these Mega Fam trips come and go since the first arrival, she and her team have been faithfully working with local Taxi drivers to ensure that they leave a lasting impression on the agents.

“As evidenced throughout the islands, everyone is on a stand-still mode with the slow season, the income revenue for our taxi drivers, our local musicians and even our porters at the international airport are down and our goal is to use Mega Fam to keep a steady income for local partners.” Parker said.
Agents are also taken on a Resort Tour visiting various room categories of each village and also experience a ‘dine-around’ experience at specialty restaurants. Other entertainment includes a chocolate and martini buffet, Wet Fete festivities at Pirate Islands, and a fun night of dancing at the Liquids Night Club.

Managing Director Donald Daganias, also commented on the upcoming travel agent mania, “This a great marketing strategy and it is what we doing here at Beaches Resort during the slow season to keep our occupancy up while showcasing the islands and maintaining steady revenue for both our employees and our local partners. ” He said, “We have had a great working relationship with the major North American travel agents who have been actively promoting this destination. The Mega Fam experience will give us the opportunity to make an impression while giving our agents hands on experience of our products and services.”

The Mega Fam experience included a two day familiarization process which commenced with a welcome check–in session with local band Corey & the Boys, followed by a Sesame Street Parade with Kitch Penn’s We’funk Junkanoo band.

“While in Turks & Caicos Travel Agents will get to experience our award winning Grace Bay Beach as well as all the amenities and services we offer here at the resort.” Tanya Swann added.

Travel agents will also have the opportunity to earn or renew their Certified Sandals Specialist (CSS) certification while on the FAM trip, during a four-hour training course that equips participants with helpful tools to grow their business.

Travel agents are flown from their home based hub to Turks & Caicos via North American Airlines, a Boeing 757 chartered by Sandals and Beaches Resorts International.

Turquoise Morning will be covering the arrival of the agents and people can look out for the highlights next week on Turquoise Morning.

Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.

Bahamas News

Royal Bahamas Police Force – ARRAIGNMENT NOTICE

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The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.

The individuals and charges are as follows:

An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving

The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.

The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.

The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.

The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.

The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.

A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:

  • Murder

The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.

A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

  • Murder
  • Attempted Murder

These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.

 

RBPF, PACD

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Saunders Tells Caribbean Media: Be Seen, Be Heard – But What About TCI

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by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”

Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”

Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.

The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.

Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.

Saunders believes AI can help.

He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.

He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.

His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”

For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.

That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us

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Bahamas News

Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday

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Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.

Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.

According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.

The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.

Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.

However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.

The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band

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