TCI News
Public Notice: From DECR on Sargassum Seaweed Accumulation on TCI’s Coastline
#Providenciales, August 21,2018 – Turks and Caicos – The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) acknowledges that the current quantities of sargassum that have washed ashore may pose a frustration to residents and visitors to Grand Turk’s shores. Nevertheless, the DECR would like to assure all parties that we seek to act in the best interests of residents, valued visitors and our environment.
Sargassum is an important seaweed found throughout the world’s oceans. In fact, the Sargasso Sea is named after the concentration of this algae in its waters. Periodically, sargassum washes up on beaches which is a natural process that can provide important structure and nutrients to these areas. While floating around, sargassum provides an important habitat for a number of organisms, particularly giving shelter to juvenile fish and sea turtles 
during their vulnerable stages.
In recent years, the reported incidents of large rafts of sargassum washed up on beaches in the region seem to be on the rise, and although it may also be on the increase in the TCI we do not currently have the data to support this.
Sargassum poses no threat to humans and though decaying mounds of the material may create eyesores and offensive odors, the wrack line stabilizes beaches as it ‘catches’ wind-blown sand, preventing erosion and stabilizing dunes. The management of these issues therefore, requires careful consideration of the use of the shoreline for recreational enjoyment and the environmental impact of the sargassum on the coastline. While removal of sargassum is normally not permitted, excessive amounts are recognized as problematic and consideration is being made for removal where required.
The Public Works Department has awarded contracts for the clean-up of the coastline to remove the deposited sargassum. It is anticipated that work will begin within the coming week to remove the sargassum in the most heavily affected areas.
Persons seeking to remove large amounts of material from the eastern shoreline of Grand Turk should contact the DECR office at 338-3172 or environment@gov.tc to seek further guidance to coordinate removal efforts. In areas where quantities of sargassum are too large to be buried in the sand, it should be transported to the dump for waste disposal. It can also be composted for use as soil amalgamation in landscaping.
Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.
Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.
From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.
Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025
The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024. Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June). As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.
By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.
Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.
“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.
In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December. This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.
From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 
The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent. In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.
Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively. Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4. This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 11 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) coordinated a multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday, 29 January 2026, led by the Planning Department, with support from the Crown Land
Unit, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, and security provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The operation, carried out at three different locations in Providenciales, formed part of ongoing government efforts to address unauthorised development and illegal occupation of land in accordance with governing legislation.
The operation commenced in Blue Hills, where five Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on unauthorised structures identified on Block and Parcel 60502/48.
Enforcement activity then moved to a second location off the Leeward Highway near Caicos Lodge, where six Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on additional unauthorised structures on Block and Parcel 60802/66.
The final phase of the operation took place in The Bight, where three unauthorised structures were removed, with all debris cleared from the site in keeping with established safety and environmental protocols.
The Informal Settlements Unit remains committed to working alongside its partner agencies to support lawful development, protect public and private land, and ensure that planning regulations are enforced in a coordinated and transparent manner across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Similar joint operations will continue as part of the Government’s wider strategy to address unauthorised development and informal settlement activity.
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