TCI News
Blue Tokens on the Greenest Day of the year, Celebrate Earth Day at IGA
#Providenciales, April 20, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – You will be able to use your reusable bags and earn tokens at Graceway IGA on Earth Day, this coming Monday April 22, 2019; the grocery store is calling it ‘Staying Blue’.
As the Turks and Caicos Islands fast approach a radical change for environmental protection, which is an end to single use plastic bags as of May 1, there has been very little public education; however, the DECR announced that TCIG’s education efforts will ramp up as of Monday.
Graceway Supermarkets said: “We believe that the key to a cleaner, eco-friendlier TCI is re-using everything we have. This includes bags, clothing, containers and so many of the things we throw away these days.”
At IGA on Monday, there will be a prominent display set up in the foyer of the store and shoppers will be able to donate the tokens they earn for bringing their own bags to a charity of their choice.
Graceway Supermarkets explained, “Every time you bring your own bags or buy a re-usable bag you will get a token, use the token at checkout to vote for your favorite action for Graceway Communities to take, and we’ll take the action.”
On Wednesday May 1, shoppers will no longer get those plastic bags that they are used to for carrying home their store purchases. This change, in order to reduce the impact of the toxic plastics on the environment, will take some getting used to and it may eventually mean higher bills at check out.
At Graceway Supermarkets, the increase named the, ‘Blue Ocean fee’ will come eventually and is described as nominal.
“We know this initial period will be difficult for our customers so we’re providing free alternative paper bags in all our stores. But from 1 August we will start a pilot scheme to implement a charge on single-use bags at checkout. Any money raised will all go to Graceway Communities for actions to help the environment and the TCI.”
Single-use paper bags will be provided temporarily at no charge at their six stores in Providwenciales and Grand Turk, but Graceway shared that paper bags are significantly more expensive and their goal is to help consumers shift their behavior.
“Real change needs a change in our attitudes and behavior. By putting a nominal charge on single-use bags we will drastically reduce how many are used and increase the use of re-usable bags to help the environment.”
For the grocery store conglomerate, the plan is bigger than just the ban on single use plastic bags.
“We have moved to phase out these items in our deli’s and cafe. The real problem is with littering, so we encourage both education and change in behavior on littering, as well as re-use of all types of items. We would encourage a discussion on the topic of what sectors are most polluting in the TCI (power, vehicles, desalination, construction effluent).”
Shoppers are welcomed to Graceway IGA on Monday for the Earth Day celebration.
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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
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.
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