TCI News
Hartling Group wins BIG at Sol Rally Barbados 2019!
#Providenciales, June 7, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – In what could be considered the most exciting year for the Turks and Caicos Rally team, five drivers represented us very well.
Leading the pack was Stan Hartling and his navigator Jeremy Croney from Barbados taking first in class for a modified 3, fastest rear wheel drive, second fastest 2-wheel drive and the fastest BMW, receiving a trophy from BMW motor sports division. Sponsored by Bambara Rum and Hartling Resorts, this is Stan’s seventh year participating in Rally Barbados. Describing one tense moment during the competition, Stan had to finish the mountain stage with a flat tire, although this did not keep him from taking home the most trophies. One of the most proud moments this year for Stan was standing on the stage with both of his sons Sam and Ben who also participated in the race.
Pierre Beswick, returning to Rally Barbados for his second year along with navigator Leslie Evanson of Barbados took third place in his class for Modified. Pierre is sponsored by Grace Bay Car Rentals, Automotive Arts and Hartling Resorts. After a rough year, Pierre says one of the most exciting moments was when his navigator told him at the start of the final race that they had a third-place finish. Touting the theme “consistency pays off” Pierre held his ground on Sunday realizing that one tiny slip and his closest competitor could have knocked him out of third place victory.
Paul Horton, along with navigator Kristian Yearwood of Barbados took Second in class M2, highest place non-regional front wheel drive. Sponsored by Arbike Vodka, Java Island and Horizon Construction, this is Paul’s 10th anniversary event competing at Rally Barbados.
The most tense moment for Paul was driving the first night stage of the rally with a problem with the door latch and he had to hold it shut with one hand and drive with one hand to the end of the stage at speed. His favorite moment was racing on Vaclause raceway with my family and all our friends and support team watching driving off the track to smiles and love everywhere – will never forget it.
Also competing were Stan’s sons Ben Hartling and his navigator Dewayne Forde from Barbados, and Sam Hartling with navigator Kevin Jon Manning also from Barbados. Sponsored by Hartling Resorts and Rockwell, Ben in his second year at Rally Barbados, took second place in the Sunday Cup after sustaining a broken axle, and Sam Hartling making his debut for the first time at Rally Barbados finished very well, driving Stan Hartling‘s original BMW Rally car.
The Turks and Caicos entourage in Barbados were about 40 persons strong, cheering on our favorite drivers and making a splash in Barbados and representing the Turks and Caicos Islands in style.
One of the organizers of the event describes the Turks and Caicos Motoring Club team as tough, passionate, and exceptional drivers with extreme charisma and professionalism.
Release: Hartling Group
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.
