TCI News
Hon. Sean Astwood’s Remarks at the World Food Program (WFP) on Regional Symposium on Shock-Responsive Social Protection in the Caribbean
#Providenciales, July 2, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – “Protocol already being established; I would also like to adopt same. Good morning everyone and welcome to our beautiful by nature, Turks and Caicos Islands.
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Regional Symposium on Shock-Responsive Social Protection in the Caribbean which is being hosted by the UN World Food Program in collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) here in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
It is a known fact that globally, the frequency, size and duration of disasters and crisis—be they the consequence of natural phenomena or economic or political shocks—are on the rise. The cost of responding to these disasters has been increasing at what some may described as at an alarming rate. It is important to note that many of these shocks are predictable and protracted, and often slow-onset, and therefore within our control to mitigate against them.
In this regard, the need to identify and expand effective ways to respond to disasters is as pressing as ever. It is true that Caribbean countries have come a long way: from a reactive approach to disaster response to one focusing on preparedness, resilience building and climate change adaptation. However, the achievement of critical targets are being done at very slow pace. While we all face the same hurricane season annually, we however have different degrees of vulnerability. As a result of Climate Change, the increase of devastating weather-related events is hindering governments’ efforts to protect people from collective risks, whilst eroding countries’ sustainable development gains sometimes 3-4 times the cost of their GDP. We may not want to believe it, but we are surely feeling it, Climate Change is Real, and it is not going away anytime soon.
Recognizing the seriousness of climate change, my Government has recently passed a climate change policy and have also banned single use plastic bags, Styrofoam containers. This is just few of the steps that my Government is taking to reduce the countries carbon foot print, though miniscule.
Statistics have also shown that the poorest and the most vulnerable are the ones who suffer the most from the impact of natural hazards. As such, it is not only important to have an integrated disaster risk management strategy but equally important is to ensure that it must go hand-in-hand with long-term comprehensive interventions designed to protect people living in disaster-prone areas from multiple risk scenarios.
In this regard, Social Protection is a key instrument to reduce poverty and vulnerability and enhance people’s capacity to manage economic and social issues. Social Protection role in climate risk management has also been widely recognized in global agreements in recent years. Social protection systems help individuals and families, cope with crises and shocks, find jobs, improve productivity, invest in the health and education of their children and protect the aging population.
Moreover, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that with the appropriate systems and programmes in place, Social Protection can also play a significant role in minimizing the impacts of disasters and strengthen disaster risk management actions, for a more rapid, cost-efficient and effective preparedness and response to emergencies. This was the case in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Dominica and British Virgin Islands, following a devastating 2017 hurricane season, where national social protection schemes were adapted and expanded to support the needs of hurricane-affected people. Much can be learnt from these regional examples.
Events like the WFP and CDEMA symposium on Shock-Responsive Social Protection, hosted by the Government of Turks and Caicos Islands, offers a tremendous opportunity to strengthen the linkages between disaster risk management, social protection and climate change adaptation. It enables countries and sectors to draw from each other’s experiences and best practices. Fosters regional collaboration and knowledge-exchange. And imbues traditional practices in disaster response with novel approaches and innovative ideas that can assist, protect and support the Caribbean people with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
I therefore urge you as we come together to focus more in-debt on our region for these next 2 days, that we will leave these beautiful Turks & Caicos Islands recharged and energized to ensuring that each and every one of us play our part in mitigating against the risks that our respective countries face and we will recommend and implement social protective strategies with the aim of building resilience among our most vulnerable.
Thank you and may God grant us a hurricane free impact season.”
Release: TCIG
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.
-
News4 days agoThe Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
-
TCI News6 days agoExperience Turks and Caicos and Aquila Host Product Development Workshops to Strengthen Sister Islands Tourism
-
News3 days agoStrong December Performance Signals Continued Demand for the Turks and Caicos Islands
-
News5 days agoMulti-Agency Planning Enforcement Operation Conducted at multiple locations in Providenciales
-
Bahamas News1 day agoTens of Millions Announced – Where is the Development?
-
Bahamas News53 minutes agoGroundbreaking for Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre
-
Health27 minutes agoWhat to Look for with Self-Checks at Home
-
News1 week agoJoint Agency Initiative Delivers Flood Safety Education to Schools