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Return of Cruises pushed to September-October start

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#Caribbean, June 23, 2020 – A buoyant billion dollar prognosis for Caribbean and Latin American cruising in 2020 has run aground and on Monday, regional countries learned that ships will not be returning to their ports until after September 15, 2020.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it will cancel all North American sailings for August and September.  It had been hoped Carnival, with eight of its 27 ships, would resume operations on August 1.

“During this unprecedented pause in our business, we have continued to assess the operating environment and confer with public health, government and industry officials,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival president, in a letter sent Monday to passengers and travel agents.

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The Cruise Industry plumped up Caribbean and Latin American tourism by $3.36 billion in 2019, accounting for $902.7 million in wages to nearly 80,000 people. 

Yet, it cannot get its head above water as the Covid-19 crisis deepens with over nine million people across the globe having been infected with the new and potentially deadly disease.

The United States, which accounts for 11.9 per cent of the world’s cruise passengers, is the worst hit and cases continue to soar there in what is only the first wave of the pandemic.

The Caribbean and Latin America draw the bulk of cruise business at 34.4 per cent according to the 2019 Cruise Industry Overview, produced by the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, FCCA.

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In good times, that is good news, in bad times the impact of the loss is dismal.

The Bahamas, in 2019 reported earnings of $405.8 million due to cruise arrivals; second behind Cozumel, Mexico with $474.7 million in this port alone.

The Turks and Caicos Islands derived $86.5 million from the calls at its Grand Turk Cruise Center, which has not seen a docking since March 6.

The list of destinations significantly dependent upon the industry goes on to include Jamaica, which in 2019 earned $244 million; Cayman Islands saw $224 million; St Lucia with $59.4 million; St. Kitts and Nevis, netted $149 million; while Puerto Rico recorded $151 million; the Dominican Republic drew $134 million and Aruba made $102 million in 2019 from cruise vacations.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, which brings the most visitors, has removed all summer sailings from its schedule, suggesting it too plans a return to business by October.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) just days ago announced that all of its members would voluntarily extend suspension of cruises in U.S. waters until September 15.

Already announced by other cruise companies like Norwegian Cruise Line, is, that all its sailings are cancelled until the fall.

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TCI News

TCI Hosts Strategic Defence Summit as Overseas Territories Regiments Strengthen Security Partnerships

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Turks and Caicos, December 4, 2025 – The Turks and Caicos Islands this week became the centre of regional security cooperation as senior defence leaders from across the British Overseas Territories gathered in Providenciales for the 4th Annual Overseas Territories Commanding Officers Conference — a three-day summit focused on strengthening capability, maritime readiness, and inter-territorial partnerships.

Acting Governor Anya Williams and Premier Charles Washington Misick, OBE, on December 1, welcomed Lord Lancaster, a key figure in the establishment of the TCI Regiment and the current Honorary Colonel of the Cayman Islands Regiment, for a courtesy call and high-level briefing session. Lord Lancaster joined Permanent Secretary for National Security Tito Lightbourne, TCI Regiment Commanding Officer Colonel Ennis Grant, and Commanding Officers from Bermuda, Cayman, Montserrat, the Falkland Islands, and UK defence representatives.

The visit, along with the wider conference agenda, signals a meaningful step forward for the rapidly evolving TCI Regiment, which has grown into a crucial national asset for disaster response, coastal security, joint operations, and resilience planning. Lord Lancaster’s presence carries additional significance: he was instrumental in shaping the Regiment’s formation in 2020 and remains a vocal advocate for expanding the capabilities of small-territory defence units within the UK network.

At the conference’s opening ceremony, Acting Governor Williams emphasised the importance of “collaboration and strategic leadership across the Overseas Territories,” noting that shared challenges — from climate shocks to transnational crime — demand a unified approach. The Permanent Secretary echoed this, highlighting increased maritime coordination and training pathways as areas where the TCI is seeking deeper integration with its regional counterparts.

Throughout the week, Commanding Officers participated in strategic discussions, intelligence and security briefings, resilience planning sessions, and on-site engagements showcasing the TCI’s developing operational infrastructure. The agenda also focused on improving interoperability — ensuring that Overseas Territories regiments can operate seamlessly together during disaster deployments, search and rescue missions, and joint maritime operations.

For the TCI Regiment, hosting the conference marks a milestone: it positions the young force as an active contributor in shaping the region’s security future rather than merely a participant. Leaders left no doubt that the momentum is intentional — and that the Turks and Caicos Islands are strengthening their role within a broader, coordinated defence framework designed to safeguard shared interests.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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TCI News

Michael Misick Rejects Government’s 60/40 Shift as Business Licensing Debate Reignites

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Turks and Caicos, December 4, 2025 – For the first time in his long political career, former Premier Michael Misick appeared on Drexwell Seymour’s “Financially Speaking” radio programme this week — and he used the platform to forcefully reject the Government’s new 60/40 business-ownership model, arguing that Turks and Caicos Islanders are once again being positioned to lose ground in their own country.

The interview came at a pivotal moment: the Washington Misick Administration has just issued a detailed press statement confirming that the controversial 100% Islander-only ownership requirement — praised by some as overdue protectionism and criticised by others as unconstitutional and discriminatory — was never Cabinet’s intended position. A “drafting error,” the Government now says, caused the blanket 100% clause to appear in the Business Licensing (Amendment) Bill, prompting a pause in Parliament and a full review.

This week, Cabinet reaffirmed its balanced 60/40 framework, arguing that meaningful majority control for Turks and Caicos Islanders must coexist with access to external capital, expertise, and investment partnerships. The Government cited international models, financing constraints for local entrepreneurs, and the need to avoid “harsh outcomes” that could unintentionally weaken local businesses or violate constitutional safeguards. It further pledged strengthened anti-fronting mechanisms, tighter oversight, and mandatory protections for local shareholders.

But Michael Misick isn’t convinced.

During the wide-ranging RTC interview, the former Premier dismissed the 60/40 model as inadequate and accused successive governments of diluting the rights and economic standing of heritage Turks and Caicos Islanders. He argued that fronting has flourished under the existing 51% rule, and that only full, uncompromised Islander ownership in certain industries can prevent locals from being reduced to symbolic partners with no real power. Misick described the Business Licensing Board’s disappearance, the rise of unchecked approvals, and the growing dominance of expatriate capital as evidence that the country is “losing itself, bit by bit, every sunrise.”

Seymour, a CPA and economic commentator, echoed concerns about fronting and asked whether the territory’s leaders were “afraid” to implement robust protections. Misick went further, accusing modern politicians of lacking political courage and failing to defend the long-term interests of heritage Turks and Caicos Islanders.

“Every time legislation comes to empower our people, there is resistance,” Misick said.
“When it’s something that penalises our people, no one objects.”

The Government’s clarification attempts to neutralize that narrative, insisting Cabinet did not “retreat” under pressure but merely corrected an error to restore policy integrity. Still, the timing — after months of public debate, stakeholder pushback, and ongoing reference to the Grant Thornton economic impact report — has only deepened suspicion among critics who say the Administration is wavering.

What is clear is this:
The Business Licensing reform has cracked open the deepest unresolved question in the Turks and Caicos Islands — how to protect a small population from economic displacement while maintaining an investment climate that supports national development.

With Parliament scheduled to revisit the Bill this month, the clash between political philosophy and economic pragmatism is now on full display. And as Misick made clear on RTC, this debate will define not just policy, but identity.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.  

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Health

Bruce Willis’ Brave Gift to Dementia Research – And His now Quiet Link to Turks & Caicos

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December 4, 2025 – Hollywood legend Bruce Willis – arguably the most famous former home owner in Turks and Caicos Islands – is facing the most difficult role of his life and turning it into one last act of service.

Willis, 70, retired from acting in 2022 after his family revealed he had been diagnosed with aphasia. The following year, specialists confirmed he is living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative brain disease that attacks language, behaviour and personality.

In recent interviews and appearances, his wife Emma Heming Willis has said Bruce is “surrounded by love and care” and that the family is learning to find joy in new ways, even as the disease progresses.

Now, Heming Willis has gone further.  In her 2025 memoir The Unexpected Journey, she writes that the family has decided Bruce’s brain will be donated to science after his death to advance research into FTD.  That decision has been highlighted in recent coverage by futurist and science outlets, which describe it as a carefully considered step after months of watching a still-physically-strong man steadily lose speech, reading and independence.

Neurologists have long stressed how rare donated brain tissue is for FTD, and how essential it is to understanding which proteins, mutations and mechanisms are actually driving the disease.  The Willis family’s choice means the brain that powered some of cinema’s most iconic characters could one day help researchers diagnose the condition earlier and design better treatments – even if it cannot help Bruce himself.

For Turks and Caicos, the story lands close to home.  For nearly two decades Willis owned “The Residence” on exclusive Parrot Cay – a 7.3-acre, Asian-inspired beachfront compound with a five-bedroom main house, two guest villas and a yoga pavilion.  He and Emma listed the estate in March 2019 for US$33 million; it sold a few months later for about US$27 million, one of the biggest residential deals in TCI history.

So, while Bruce Willis no longer has a physical address in Turks and Caicos, his connection to these islands remains part of his global story – a story now shifting from blockbuster fame to medical legacy, as his family turns private heartbreak into a public contribution that could change what we know about dementia.

Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.

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