Minister of Tourism on TCHTA’s Announcement of Formal Working Relationship With Carnival Corporation and PLC

#TurksandCaicos, April 7, 2018 – Grand Turk – The Minister and Ministry of Tourism would like to congratulate the TCHTA and Carnival on the establishment of a formal working relationship; this is long overdue.  Similar relationships have existed between Hotel Associations and the Cruise Sector in the region for years; we obviously wish them well.

For years, an informal but cordial business relationship existed between the Tourist Board and the TCHTA and more recently this was extended to include Carnival Cruise line. The working together of these three entities has contributed largely to our destination’s success to-date. The Ministry looks forward to a continued symbiotic relationship with the private sector inclusive of the TCHTA and Carnival Corporation to promote the entire TCI.

As it relates to strategic vision for the country’s Tourism, The Ministry of Tourism and the Tourist Board led in funding and facilitation of the KPMG Consultancy which produced this strategic report which is widely accepted as the right direction for TCI Tourism. Recently this Government formally ratified the KPMG Report as the official Tourism Strategic Plan for our islands and TCIG is pursuing a sustainable funding and implementation scheme for the plan.

The funding of the plan has been hampered in part by the recent hurricanes and blanket exemptions on import duties which the government had to provide businesses and individuals, including members of the TCHTA, to have their business and the country open for business. As the country’s income improves, proper funding for the roll out of the strategic plan would be realized.

As it relates to the ambition of successive governments, this statement is baseless and rather unfortunate and, quite frankly, should be retracted. It was and still is the ambition of the TCI Government and its people which attracted many of the members of the TCHTA and Carnival to our shores in the first place.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Tourist Board remain willing and ready to work with the TCHTA, Carnival and the entire Private Sector in areas of mutual benefit and for the good of our entire country and its people.

Release: TCIG