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Nearly 300 people sent home today as Turks and Caicos Collection closes indefinitely

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Alexandra Resort, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – August 5, 2020 – At least 250 people were laid off and 13 executives made redundant today at the Turks and Caicos Collection of Resorts as the financial onslaught of the travel and tourism industry by COVID-19, escalates.

Lord Michael Ashcroft, Chairman of Waterloo Investment Holdings Ltd (WIHL), which owns the Collection, is in country and made known the painful decisions, Magnetic Media is told, in a private meeting with top executives.  By this afternoon, there came a NOTICE OF LAYOFF which said, in part:

“Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry and the continuous fallouts that we experience daily, we have made the decision to lay off employees in an effort to mitigate the loss of business experienced to date.”

Blue Haven and Beach House had closed in the early days of the pandemic’s impact on Turks and Caicos tourism.  The Alexandra and Ambergris Cay were reopened on July 22 but guest bookings for the Alexandra were a far cry from what is needed to sustain the all-inclusive operation.

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At peak there were 105 guests on property, reflecting a 30 percent occupancy level.

Staff from the Beach House, Blue Haven and the Alexandra were being rotated – an effort which kept staff employed, albeit with a lesser salary.

Employees were today surprised by the announcement which also confirmed an eight week layoff beginning on August 10.

Until there is a significant uptick in tourism, the Alexandra will close to tourists this coming Sunday August 9; most disconcerting is that no reopening date was revealed.

Ambergris Cay, which is a private island, also owned by WIHL has had a different experience largely due to the higher net worth of the multi-million-dollar home owners.  Ambergris Cay has its own airstrip, which has been welcoming private jets since tourism reopened in late July.

While interest in Turks and Caicos vacations have been healthy, there are at least two factors which have brought momentum to a crawl:  the five-day requirement of a negativeCOVID-19  PCR test by the TCI Assured program and the delay in the  reopening of Beaches Resort Villages and Spa.

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Turn-around time on COVID-19 tests in the United States (and Caribbean region) are generally falling outside of the 5-day TCI public health requirement.

The Beaches Resort announcement of reopening not until October 14, likely prompted a reduction of flights into Providenciales during August by both Delta and Jet Blue airline companies.

The 13 expatriate executives have all been made redundant and given severance pay as stipulated by law.  The same is said of the 250 staff members, who as of August 10 will be furloughed.

Owners of residences at all properties will be allowed to visit, unencumbered.

News

Experience Turks and Caicos Hosts Two-Day Workshop on Product Development and Vendor Excellence in Grand Turk

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PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS  – Experience Turks and Caicos hosted a successful two-day workshop on October 18th and 19th, 2024, with tour operators and vendors, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to enhance their product offerings and guest experiences.

The workshops were held in collaboration with the Aquila Centre for Cruise Excellence with facilitators Ms. Marie Berthe Hatt and Ms. Melanie Colpitts leading the discussions. Experience Turks and Caicos and Aquila are Platinum Partners with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).

The workshops took place at the Yellowman and Sons auditorium in Grand Turk and focused on two critical areas: Product Development and Vendor Excellence, with an emphasis on creating and delivering innovative experiences that respond to today’s travel trends.

As cruise destinations continuously evolve to stay competitive, the Product Development Workshop provided participants with a roadmap to ensure their destination remains fresh and appealing to both cruise lines with the theme: “What’s New in Your Destination?” Key topics included identifying market opportunities and emerging trends, crafting unique and memorable guest experiences, marketing strategies to get experiences noticed and ensuring product sustainability.

The Vendor Excellence workshop, held on the second day, highlighted the pivotal role vendors play in shaping the overall cruise guest experience. This half-day workshop was designed to empower vendors with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional service, improve sales, and enhance their contribution to the destination’s success. Key topics covered during the Vendor Excellence workshop included understanding the critical role of vendors in the success of cruise tourism, optimising products and services for maximum impact, sales mastery and improving revenue-generating capabilities and developing a guest-centric approach to service

Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Josephine Connolly, applauded the Product Development Team, led by Product Development Manager Mrs. Candesha Mills, for creating an opportunity for tour operators and vendors to enhance their offerings.

“Developing our products to increase visitation and spend on island is a very important aspect of the work of Experience Turks and Caicos. These workshops will go a long way to spark new ideas and new businesses, to improve the way business is conducted, enhance the product development on the island and to affirm our commitment to ensuring that everyone across the Turks and Caicos Islands benefit from the tourism industry. I applaud the team for this initiative and I thank everyone who attended and participated in these workshops,” the Minister said.

Mrs Mills said: “The two-day workshop was incredibly informative and facilitated great discussions among the participants. Tour operators and vendors walked away with a wealth of knowledge on how to enhance their existing products and services and were inspired to create new ones based on current market trends. This training equipped them with the tools they need to stay competitive and continue delivering exceptional experiences to our cruise guests.”

Ms. Berthe Hatt, shared her enthusiasm following the two-day workshops: “Grand Turk is such a special community, and Melanie and I are so grateful to Experience Turks and Caicos for this opportunity to work with the tour operators and vendors here. Over the last two days, we’ve had such engaged participants and great discussions around new product ideas and raising the level of service. We’re excited and cheering you on.”

Each attendee received a certificate of completion, symbolising their readiness to contribute to the success of the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier cruise destination.

Experience Turks and Caicos continues to lead efforts in enhancing the destination’s offerings and empowering local stakeholders, ensuring the islands remain a top choice for cruise lines and their guests.

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News

Voter Registration for the 2025/2026 Electors Register Underway

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GRAND TURK, TCI: The Supervisor of Elections, Mr. Dudley Lewis has announced that the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Register of Electors is currently undergoing updates, with a new Register set to be released on March 31, 2025.

While registration for the Elector’s Register is continuous, as per the Elections Ordinance, an updated Register is mandated annually by March 31. The Supervisor encourages new applicants, particularly those aged seventeen (17) and older, as well as individuals aged eighteen (18) and above who were not included in the new Register of Electors have until November 30, 2025, to visit the Election Office with the necessary documentation for registration.

In a statement Mr. Lewis emphasized that “Eligible voters on the current Register of Electors are not required to reapply for inclusion in the 2025/2026 Register; they will be automatically enrolled unless they inform the Elections Office of any name or address changes, or if they no longer meet the eligibility criteria, including residency in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) for at least 12 out of 24 months (about 2 years).”

Individuals wishing to register must have a TCI Status Card or apply for one through the Ministry of Border Control. Those without a card and who have not yet applied are strongly encouraged to do so.

Voter Registration Application Forms for inclusion in the TCI Register of Electors for 2025/2026 are available at the Elections Office on Pond Street, Grand Turk Pond Street, Providenciales #17 Caribbean Place on the Leeward Highway, and the District Commissioner’s Office in Salt Cay, South Caicos, Middle Caicos (Conch Bar), and North Caicos (Bottle Creek).

For further information on the voter registration process, individuals are advised to contact the Elections Office in Grand Turk on telephone numbers 649-338-2304 or 649-338-2301 and email: electionsdept@gov.tc or Providenciales Elections Office at telephone number 649-338 4681.

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Crime

Unidentified Homicide Victim Found in Five Cays

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Wilkie Arthur

Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos Islands (Wednesday, 6th November 2024) – Authorities are still trying to identify the man shot dead three nights ago behind a house in the Five Cays/South Dock area. Despite images of the victim’s bloodied body circulating on social media, no one has come forward with information about his identity.

Eyewitnesses in the neighborhood reported hearing multiple gunshots—some say five, others six, and one resident described hearing “plenty, plenty” shots. The sound sent residents scrambling to hide, and it was only after a pause in the gunfire that they dared to look outside. They discovered the body of a man lying on the ground, positioned between a green fence and a small house.

Fearful that the shooter(s) might still be nearby, residents hesitated to approach the scene. Eventually, someone called the police, and officers soon arrived, bringing a measure of security. As the investigation began, residents cautiously emerged from hiding, though they kept their distance from the crime scene.

Details about the man remain sparse. Up until Tuesday, November 5th, authorities had yet to receive any identification for him.

The victim marks the 41st murder in Turks and Caicos Islands this year. Disturbingly, a 42nd homicide followed the next evening, claiming the life of Aiesha Williams.

According to Eagle Legal News, this brings the year’s toll to 40 male and two female victims in TCI.

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