TCI News
TCI: ‘Demons JAGS conquered are resurrected’; Preacher calls the country together at Natl Hero’s Day service
#Providenciales, May 30, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Turks and Caicos finds itself fighting the same issues which JAGS McCartney overcame in the 1970’s and the only solution is a coming together of the people of the islands, said keynote speaker at the annual Memorial Service to honour the country’s first Chief Minister, in the service held on Monday May 27, 2019 in Grand Turk.
“We must come together; some of the same demons that he conquered. We are fighting (and I’m not calling no one a demon, so don’t get no thoughts in your mind) but we must come together. Even the UK Government said recently that we will only entertain constitutional changes if both sides come to the table. So, I implore you to come together, putting politics aside because if we don’t fix it now, we all will suffer,” said Rev Wilbert Jennings, Pastor of Kingdom Dominion International Church.
The National Hero’s Day Memorial service is usually a demonstration of the most honourable gestures of love and appreciation for the late, Most Excellent James Alexander George Smith McCartney and to present a message to the nation at this auspicious occasion is a great privilege. This year, on the 25th anniversary of the holiday, it was Rev. Wilbert Jennings opportunity.
“If JAGS was able to do what he did with the little strength and the effort he had at the time under the circumstances; how much more can we accomplish right about now. He was resilient and strong, a man for the people. JAGS demonstrated that leadership is not measured by how much people serve you, but by how much people you serve.”
Rev Jennings reflected on some of the causes JAGS championed for the people while an ordinary citizen with no formal political place. Demanding that Turks and Caicos benefit from monies the United States was paying to be stationed in the islands; saying monies should be used for infrastructural development of the TCI instead of being fully pocketed by the British.
There was also a story shared by the speaker about JAGS’ demanded better wages for islanders and his selfless style of leadership.
“JAGS went into politics not to enrich himself, but to enrich the lives of other people which was evident by the fact that he did not accept a salary for a certain period of time but allowed the money to go into the treasury to be used for other purposes.”
Rev Jennings, who originates from Grand Turk and is an executive member of the Turks and Caicos Christian Council gave this advice: “Anyone that aspires to be a leader in this country must respect and honour what this man has accomplished. Even if you have in your mind that there is somebody else who should have this day, fine, but today is his day.”
The Most Excellent JAGS McCartney died in a plane crash off New Jersey on May 9, 1980 at just 34-years old; by then he had served four years as the first Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The late James McCartney remains the country’s only national hero.
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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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