TCHTA and Carnival Corporation & plc join forces for the benefit of TCI’s tourism industry

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – April 5, 2018 – In a strategic move to further strengthen and propel the destination’s tourism product, the Turks and Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA) and Carnival Corporation & plc have joined forces.

Through engagement with Marie McKenzie, Carnival Cruise Lines VP Global Ports & Caribbean Government Relations, Carnival Corporation & plc now sits on the TCHTA’s Board. The group meets in Grand Turk today with the objective of reviewing a collaborative accommodation approach to the stay-over and transient groups to the destination.   

On average, the hotel and cruise sector welcome a combined 1.3 million visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands annually, accounting for nearly 80% of the territory’s GDP. However, the industry is at a key juncture, with a reported 4% decline in arrivals in 2017 following a 1% decline in arrivals in 2016. While recent natural disasters have played a major role in last year’s arrival decline, many other significant factors such as a lack of product development, misplaced marketing efforts, no solid or collaborative tourism strategy, and increased competition from other destinations have all affected the destination’s performance.

TCHTA’s membership has added new room inventory to the destination with the debut of several new hotels in winter 2017, led by the ultra-luxurious resort The Shore Club and the boutique offerings of Beach Enclave on Providenciales, as well as, the barefoot luxury of Sailrock on the undeveloped island of South Caicos.  Additional offerings from Grace Bay Resorts and the Gansevoort are due to accept visitors in the coming months. TCHTA member interCaribbean Airways, which recently won Caribbean Airlines of the Year in 2017, has expanded to add more flights throughout the Caribbean making the Turks and Caicos Islands a hub for transient travelers looking to connect to other destinations. Carnival Corporation & plc also recently brought one of its largest ships to the Grand Turk Cruise Center following the reopening of the cruise port. Despite the stellar infrastructure from the hotel and cruise sector, the full potential of our industry has not yet been realized.  

The 2015 National Tourism Strategic Policy paper set out some foundations for a coherent and supportive approach towards tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands, yet to date, there has been no evidence of positive implementation, suggesting successive governments have lacked ambition for the sector and have either ignored our industry or treated it as simply a convenient source of tax revenue. Correct actions need to be taken now to ensure that the sector’s significant potential is to be achieved.

“We can no longer wait for the government to match the industry’s ambitions and commit appropriate funds to overseas marketing and new product development,” says TCHTA’s Board.  “There are many options to enhance the destination’s tourism experiences and enhance our current marketing strategy, so the TCHTA together with Carnival Corporation & plc, will seek to take a proactive approach.”

Today’s group meeting is merely a start in the right direction for both the hotel and cruise sector, as the Turks and Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association and Carnival Corporation & plc seeks to collaborate on more initiatives in the near future.

Press Release issued by the TCHTA