TCI News
TCI National Security Council Meeting
#Providenciales, February 8, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, and the Hon. Premier, Mrs Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, co-chaired a meeting of the TCI National Security Council (NSC) on Friday, 1 February 2019, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building in Providenciales.
In attendance as members of the NSC were the Hon. Deputy Premier, the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Attorney General, the Hon. Deputy Governor and the Commissioner of Police.
At this meeting the NSC:
- Received up-dates from the Commissioner of Police on:
– Crime statistics for TCI overall had a fallen by 6% for the third quarter measured year-on-year, though there had been a concerning spike in reported crime levels in Grand Turk;
– Operation Drive Safe had so far resulted in 376 tickets being issued, 45 people warned of prosecution and eleven illegal migrants arrested;
– There would be a significant addition to the fleet of police vehicles from mid-February. Tenders for additional CCTV cameras and a replacement Police plane had been issued;
– Additional training for Police Supervisors is currently being delivered by the Miami Beach Police Force and new digital forensics laboratory training would commence shortly;
– Reported on the need for additional resources to enhance border control and related operational needs of the Police.
- Received an update from the Deputy Premier on:
– Sloop landings in Salt Cay and Grand Turk January led to 187 and 132 illegal immigrants being detained respectively. Both the Police and Immigration would be examining ways to increase maritime patrols, including through co-operation with the Bahamas.
– Considered how to ensure improved training for and vetting of privately employed security guards on Grand Turk;
– Commitment to identify additional funds to boost border security infrastructure.
– Noted that Operation Guardian was having a positive impact. The Deputy Premier and Commissioner of Police would together analyse how best to develop this Operation’s impact going forward;
– Given security-related concerns about the adequacy of street lighting in certain parts of Providenciales especially, HE the Governor and the Premier would seek an exploratory meeting with Fortis TCI.
- Received an update from the Minister of Home Affairs on the situation at HM Prison on:
– Review of planned works;
– 
The disturbance in HM Prison on 25 January;
– Staffing and security issues;
- Received an update from the Premier on the draft National Security Strategy (NSS);
– Strategy meetings had been conducted; the draft NSS is due to be completed by the 3rd week of February.
- Received an Update from HE the Governor on security assistance from the UK, including for border security:
– HE the Governor drew attention to training and other support already provided by the UK Government in support of enhanced border security. He noted that other training would be coming on stream and that an expert team would be examining maritime security in the course of a visit to TCI in March as part of a follow-up to the earlier Security Needs Assessment Report.
Release: Governor’s Office
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.
