TCI News
40 staff sent home until October; 10 customer limit a bad taste for Mango Reef
#Providenciales – Turks and Caicos Islands – September 13, 2020 — Mango Reef, a premier restaurant in Providenciales will close temporarily and has sent 40 employees home until government either amends or lifts a COVID-19 health regulation which limits service at their sprawling site to 10 people at a time.
A photograph shared on social media was how the public learned of the decision by the 16-year restaurant, which is consistently ranked among the top eateries in Providenciales; having this year won a Traveller’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor.
A spokesperson for Mango Reef said the decision, by management, was made on September 10, following a visit by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police.
Members of the Force conducted a surprise inspection to ensure Mango Reef’s compliance with the public health mandate. At the time, two groups of tourists were attempting to lunch at Mango Reef; their combined number was over the regulated limit.
It caused a problem, which was eventually cleared up to allow guests to be served. Still, the experience left a bad taste in the mouth of the restaurant owner who informed staff, Mango Reef, located at Turtle Cove Marina, would close.
Other expansive restaurants are equally as incensed at the regulation which was announced on August 26 by Sean Astwood, Deputy Premier/Acting Premier.
“The 10 person limit in bars/restaurants makes no sense. It should be a percentage of capacity (be it 25%, 30% or whatever) that governs the numbers. This is how pretty much every other country in the world has governed such restrictions. For example, Mango Reef/Conch Shack are large and outdoors and should surely be allowed more than 10 people, whereas a tiny indoor downtown bar which is much, much smaller can also have 10 people but crammed into a tiny space? This is illogical to me,” said a local attorney in an email to Magnetic Media.
The Minister of Health, on Friday held a press conference, where no change to the 10 person limit was announced. Instead the country learned that the regulation is extended another 15 days.
“Restaurants and Bars will continue from September 15th to September 30th 2020 will have a limit on patrons/customers to be no more than 10 persons at a time. Enforcement of wearing of face coverings in public through the implementation of fines through the ticketing system which has already been developed,” said Edwin Astwood, Minister of Health.
It means 20 days of no work, no tips, no salary for the kitchen, dining room and cleaning staff at Mango Reef.
Managers had hoped for some dialogue or a review of the rule by the Ministry of Health; but there has been “nothing”. It is disappointing to the business which has tried to do its best by staff during the economic challenges of the coronavirus crisis, said the spokesperson.
“We have been paying staff. Long term staff members were kept on and salaries and other bills are being paid. We have been giving food and rent assistance. We were surprised that our request for a meeting was refused.”
Despite the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19 through the 10 person limit regulation and other measures, Turks and Caicos has gone from 358 cases to 644 cases of COVID-19; a 180 percent surge in the virus.
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.
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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.
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