TCI News
Beaches Resort reacts to Premier; open to dialogue and points to multi-million dollar marketing for TCI tourism
Beaches Resort Turks and Caicos Villages & Spa Statement issued July 28
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – July 29, 2020 — As the conversation continues on finding solutions to the new normal that has been brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic, Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Villages and Spa is committed to working with all stakeholders in an effort to try to restart the country’s tourism sector.
On Monday, in response to questions from journalists, Premier the Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson acknowledged that the government had not yet had any conversation with Beaches Turks and Caicos on the current plight.
We wish to assure the people of the TCI that we are always available to discuss this unprecedented situation that the Caribbean and the entire world are now faced with. Notwithstanding that, Beaches is forging ahead with our reopening plans.
Let us be clear, there is no magic wand that is going to make this better overnight. This will require many millions of dollars in marketing, extensive coordination with vast numbers of travel agents, tour operators and airline partners throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, the U.K. and Europe, along with robust training of team members on the ground, all of which can only be achieved through experience, hard work and an excellent reputation.
We fully recognize that Beaches is the anchor resort of the TCI, as was pointed out just days ago by fellow hotelier Armando Pizzuti of the Turks and Caicos Collection who lamented what the closure of Beaches until October 14th would mean for the destination in the interim.
It is our recognition of this, and our resolve to do all we can to support the economy and livelihoods of the people of the TCI, which prompted us to take the decision more than two decades ago to remain open 12 months a year in spite of the seasonal nature of travel, and it is with huge pride that we have faithfully done so barring unforeseen circumstances such as hurricanes.
Over the past 20 years we have only closed no more than seven times, most as a direct result of hurricanes such as Hanna, Irene, Irma and Maria and now because of a pandemic. In fact we moved heaven and earth to have the resort reopened after the devastation of Hurricane Irma, and it took the mobilization of our resources from throughout the Caribbean to get the job done in 99 days – an effort the Premier considered her Christmas present at the time.
Only twice were we affected by slow traffic, and on those two rare occasions the anticipated fallout prompted the government at the time to offer a small contribution to the significant global marketing costs that were required to remain open.
However Beaches does not and has never wanted to be a burden on the people of the TCI, and we have committed to marketing and promoting the TCI for the most part on our own. In fact a number of hoteliers including the TCI Tourism Board have commented that the level of advertising we do is very important to the Turks and Caicos, especially since they have extremely low budgets.
As we have said before, the people of the TCI can count on us continuing to be a strong and solid partner. We have identified what we feel is the most realistic date for reopening, we are open to dialogue with all stakeholders in the interim, and we are putting every effort into a bringing back the airlift that is the very lifeline of the tourism sector.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 25 February 2026: Staff of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) participated in a one‑day Professional Staff Development Workshop on Thursday, 19th February 2026. The session was facilitated by former DDME Director (2011–2021) and current Permanent Secretary of the Governor’s Office, Dr. Virginia Clerveaux.
The in-house workshop was organised by the DDME Training Unit, to focus on the National Disaster Management Framework, strengthening staff understanding of their roles and responsibilities within disaster management. The session also aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) and reinforce inter‑agency coordination.
Drawing on her extensive experience in disaster management in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as several deployments to CDEMA member states including Haiti, The Bahamas, and Jamaica, Dr. Clerveaux provided practical insights that reinforced key concepts and clarified operational expectations. Staff members actively participated in discussions and shared recommendations to improve sub‑committee performance and overall departmental efficiency.
To support learning retention, the workshop incorporated pre‑ and post‑assessments, enabling participants to evaluate their understanding and track improvements.
Acting Director of DDME, Mr. Kevaun Lucas stated: “Investing in the continued development of our team is essential to strengthening national resilience. This and future planned workshops will help to reinforce our commitment to building a highly skilled, well‑coordinated workforce capable of leading and supporting disaster management efforts across the Turks and Caicos Islands. I am proud of the team’s engagement and encouraged by the meaningful contributions they made throughout the session.”
This Professional Staff Development Workshop forms part of DDME’s ongoing commitment to enhancing internal capacity, strengthening operational coordination and improving overall departmental synergy as the agency continues to advance national preparedness and response capabilities.
Photo Captions:
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
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.
