Crime, safety, synergy and 2020 tourism plans top discussions at TCHTA meeting

#TurksandCaicosIslands – January 15, 2020 — On January 8^th, 2020 the Turks and Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA) hosted their Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the award-winning resort, The Shore Club, on Long Bay Beach in Providenciales.

The gathering saw in attendance Association members, special guests and speakers, including Her Excellency Anya Williams, Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Honourable Ralph Higgs, Minister of Tourism and the reigning Caribbean Junior Minister of Tourism, Miss Danae Dennie.

The exciting evening co-chaired by TCHTA President, Todd Foss, and CEO, Stacy Cox, opened with an impressive year-end report for 2019 which detailed the work and successes of the TCHTA for that year.

“We always look forward to having our AGM because it gives us a platform to showcase our annual report to members and stakeholders, as well as the Association’s plans for the coming year,” said Cox. “2019 was another marvelous showing of what we can do for the tourism industry when we all work collaboratively, and I have no doubt that 2020 will be anything short of exceptional.”

She continued by saying, “Since its inception, the TCHTA has been pivotal in the development of the tourism product here in Turks and Caicos, and our efforts to promote our product has grown year after year. In 2019, we saw our partnerships in the community strengthen, our educational initiatives thrive, and our marketing campaigns expand our international reach farther than ever before.”

The subject of Crime was a topic of discussion at this year’s AGM, and both the Deputy Governor and the Minister of Tourism spoke on the subject, giving their commitment to working with the TCHTA and industry stakeholders to help mitigate the issue. Numerous proposals regarding safety have been submitted, with some already being put into action.

“The big conversation at our AGM this year is crime and what we are doing to tackle the rising challenges. We were privileged to have Her Excellency Anya Williams and Honourable Higgs as our guests, who were able to speak on the ongoing efforts against this scourge and putting into place the necessary measures to ensure that we are all safe from criminal threats” said TCHTA President, Todd Foss.

The Association is looking forward to continuing its strong relationships with local law enforcement, security agencies and the Government to address this problem.

The highlight of the evening was the TCHTA’s recognition of Miss Danae Dennie, who delivered her award-winning speech from the 2019 Youth Congress Competition to the AGM attendees.

Dennie was awarded with gifts from the TCHTA members in recognition of her accomplishments as the Caribbean Junior Minister of Tourism. Miss Dennie is the recipient of a full hospitality scholarship to the Turks and Caicos Community College (TCICC), a round trip ticket on Caicos Express Airways, a round trip ticket on interCaribbean Airways to any destination they service, a gift certificate for dining at Mr. Grouper’s Restaurant and a gift certificate for dining at Mango Reef Restaurant, sponsored by the Association members.

Ms. Blythe Clare, Training Manager for the TCI Tourist Board, was also recognized at the AGM.  Clare, who served as a chaperone for Miss Dennie, was presented with a bouquet from the Board and members in honour of being named TC Weekly News’ Person of the Year 2019.

The TCHTA looks forward to what 2020 will bring for the industry. “We have an exciting year planned with lots of proactive initiatives to promote the destination in partnership with the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board. Our goal is to continue cultivating and maintaining partnerships, ensuring that destination TCI flourishes,” Cox concluded.

The Association currently has approximately 200 members. Persons and businesses interested in joining should call the TCHTA at 339-5787 or complete the digital application on their website at www.turksandcaicoshta.com.

TCHTA PRESS RELEASE, JANUARY 15, 2020