TCI News
Turks and Caicos in RECESSION; GDP to decline by $272.8 million
#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – October 2, 2020 – The Turks and Caicos is now officially in a recession; it is another suffocating symptom of the coronavirus pandemic and to think, only slight inroads have been made by the World Health Organization in the effort to unravel who and what unleashed this mammoth of a crisis on the planet.
In a normal year, the Turks and Caicos Islands would have been hundreds of millions of dollars richer.
In this year, the ‘Unprecedented and Unpredictable Year 2020’, Sharlene Robinson who is Premier and Finance Minister of the UK overseas territory, has had to make a starkly different announcement about country earnings and the direct and trickle down effects due to the crushing impact on our leading industry: Tourism.
“The trigger point for a recession is usually two consecutive quarters of negative growth. All indications are that, despite having to go on lockdown at the end of March, the country experienced economic growth in the first quarter of this year. The second quarter, undoubtedly because of the necessary restrictions which had to be imposed, saw minimal activity and even though the level of activity in this quarter was more than the activity in the second quarter, when compared with the level of activity during the third quarter of last year, we are heading towards a second quarter of negative growth. Hence we can conclude that this economy is heading towards a recession,” said the Premier on September 10 in a national press conference held at the Office of the Premier in Providenciales.
That second quarter ended on September 30 for the TCI.
It means the Turks and Caicos is now officially two days into a recession and that translates into deep losses for this once burgeoning archipelago, which expected the economy to grow in 2020 by 5.4 percent.
Tourism contracted by 53 percent.
“In constant market prices it is forecast to decline from $303 million to 142.4 million or by $160.6 million,” informed Premier Robinson when Magnetic Media requested a dollar figure on the whopping shrinkage made known in her presentation early last month.
Overall, the Turks and Caicos Islands economy is forecast to contract by over 26 percent or $204.7 million.
Premier Robinson advised that GDP will “decline from US$ 1.2 Billion to US$ 924.6 million or by $272.8 million.”
During a House of Assembly meeting on August 17, Opposition Leader Washington Misick condemned the PDM Administration’s handling of the pandemic and surmised the country was facing a “deep recession.”
“The PDM does not understand what it will take to reverse the trend of this pandemic, nor the political will to try. They failed to take the measures needed between March 28th and July 22nd to put the needed resources behind the potential prevention and control of a surge of COVID-19 cases after the opening of the border and the resumption of business operations. They did not make the investment to acquire, train and undertake mass testing before the full relaxation of restrictive measures. What we should be looking at today is a reprioritisation of the budget focused on reversing the COVID-19 trend instead we are asked to approve reallocation of funding for a political agenda,” said Misick in his rebuttal of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
Washington Misick described the economy as being on “life-support” and the tourism industry as running “on fumes”.
And the future for travel and tourism is not looking bright.
An ominous ‘third wave’ of the highly infectious virus is sweeping the planet and the COVID-19 death toll has surpassed one million.
This confluence of crises is reviving extreme restrictions, extending barriers to travel and prompting unimagined measures to stem the flow and stop the spread of COVID-19.
New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, on Monday signed an executive order which requires New Yorkers to quarantine for 14-days upon return from any country which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has listed at Level 2 or Level 3.
The Turks and Caicos, has since August 6, been charted as ‘Level 3: Reconsider Travel’.
“The east coast, and particularly New York, is a major gateway for visitors to our destination. Additionally, the USA market as of 2019 accounted for 82% of air arrivals to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Consequently, the Tourist Board and Ministry of Tourism have taken actionable steps in response to this decision. The Tourist Board, has reached out directly to New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office and the Ministry of Tourism is working closely with the Ministry of Health to address the CDC’s categorization of Turks and Caicos as a level 3 country, said the Ministry of Tourism and the TCI Tourist Board on October 1 in a joint press statement.
It may be a fight in futility though, as the Turks and Caicos has faced this ‘Coronavirus Blacklisting’ before. The United Kingdom, despite TCI being one of its overseas territories, has since August made quarantine mandatory for 14 days for anyone travelling from these islands.
Income from cruise ship travel is sunk. The CDCs ‘No Sail Order’, just hours before it was due to expire on September 30 is now extended until October 31, 2020.
Grand Turk, the cruise hub of the Turks and Caicos welcomed over 1 million cruise visitors each year but has not seen a ship in port since March.
Premier Robinson in her September 10 address announced budget reallocations to support an extended stimulus package to the tune of $5 million.
A food assistance program, a new round of stimulus payouts which would include ground transportation operators and for the first time, the National Insurance Board would financially support its contributors falling into unemployment or underemployment.
“Throughout this pandemic, TCIG has seen many policy shifts within its budget. To date, it is estimated that TCIG has paid out over $15.3m in expenses relating to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the Premier.
The country awaits, however, activation of the new $5 million stimulus payout scheme. Details were promised for mid-September but to date government has been silent on when these funds will manifest for a people who have been in recession long before now and who fear the worst is yet to come.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 26 June 2026: The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies
(DDME) successfully hosted its Hurricane Preparedness Expo this past Friday, 19 June 2026, at the Dillon Hall in Grand Turk. Residents and visitors attending the event, took full advantage of the opportunity to learn more about hurricane preparedness while participating in exciting activities and receiving complimentary tokens.
The expo brought together several key partners and stakeholders, including the TCI Red Cross, Do it Center (Building Materials), Pelican Energy TCI, Interhealth Canada, TCI Regiment, Health Promotion and Advocacy Unit, Aged Care and Rehabilitation TCI, the Environmental Health Department, Survey and Mapping Department and the Public Works Department. These stakeholders and vendors contributed to the event’s success by sharing valuable information and products aimed at helping individuals and families prepare for the hurricane season.
Both the Director and Deputy Director for DDME addressed attendees and emphasised the importance of remaining vigilant throughout the Atlantic Hurricane Season. DDME Director, Lt. Col (Ret’d) Jason Hills stated, “Preparedness is not a one-time activity but an ongoing responsibility. We encourage everyone to take the necessary steps by staying informed and ensuring their emergency plans and supplies are up to date,” DDME Deputy Director Ms. Kevaun Lucas added that, “It only takes one storm to change lives and communities forever. That is why preparedness cannot wait until a hurricane is on our doorstep, take the time now so you will not be caught off guard later.”
DDME would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to all vendors and persons from the Grand Turk community that attended
this event. We also express our sincere thanks to The Hon. Otis Morris and Hon. Sharon Simons for their presence and participation.
The Hurricane Preparedness Expo forms part of the DDME’s ongoing public awareness and community outreach initiatives during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. These events aim to strengthen preparedness and resilience across the country. The public is warmly encouraged to attend DDME initiatives and take an active role in hurricane preparedness.
UPCOMING CHURCH SERVICE
Sunday, 28 June 2026 • St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Grand Turk | 9:00 AM (New time)
OTHER UPCOMING EVENT
Saturday, 4 July 2026 • Community Hurricane Scavenger Hunt, Meeting point: Oseta Jolly Primary School, Providenciales | 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (June 26th, 2026) — The Turks and Caicos Islands is celebrating another major airlift milestone with the announcement that United Airlines will launch new nonstop service between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales (PLS) beginning December 2026.*
The new weekly service marks a significant expansion of United Airlines’ established presence in the Turks and Caicos Islands and is the
result of extensive negotiations with the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA).
This announcement comes on the heels of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ successful roadshow in Denver, where the delegation, led by the Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick, was warmly welcomed by Governor Jared Polis, who proclaimed May 20th, 2026, as Turks and Caicos Islands Friendship Day in Colorado in recognition of the growing ties between the destination and the state.
Premier, Hon. Charles Washington Misick, said this new route will open up new opportunities for the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“This new direct service between Denver and Providenciales is tremendously exciting for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Denver is one of America’s great aviation gateways, opening convenient access to Colorado, California, and the entire western United States. Having already established strong links to the eastern and midwestern markets, we are delighted to now extend our reach to the west. We are confident this route will unlock significant opportunities for tourism, business, and investment and further strengthen our ties with the United States,” he said.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, welcomed the announcement as a strong endorsement of the destination’s growing appeal and the Ministry’s continued efforts to diversify source markets and expand airlift.
“This new service between Denver and Providenciales represents another important step in expanding the global reach of the Turks and Caicos Islands. For many years, our strongest air connections have been concentrated along the East Coast and in the Midwest of the United States. Today, we continue our strategic expansion westward, creating direct access to one of North America’s most dynamic and affluent regions. This route strengthens our ability to attract visitors whose interests align naturally with the Turks and Caicos Islands’ tourism product—from luxury travel and wellness experiences to diving, outdoor adventure, and second-home ownership,” he said.
Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Arlington Musgrove, described the announcement as another
important step in strengthening the destination’s connectivity and competitiveness.
“This new service is the result of continued collaboration between the Government, the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, Experience Turks and Caicos and our airline partners. Expanding air access is critical to sustaining tourism growth, and we are pleased that United Airlines continues to recognise the immense opportunity that exists here in the Turks and Caicos Islands,” the Minister said. “As part of our broader strategic vision, we have been deliberately cultivating and developing routes from the western portion of North America — a market of enormous potential — with the goal of securing greater overall air capacity into our destination.”
“We’re excited to give our customers yet another non-stop option between the Caribbean and Denver,” said Tom Kozlowski, Senior Manager of Latin, Caribbean, & Hawaii Network Planning, United Airlines. “United is the largest carrier in Denver, and this new addition will be the westernmost service from Turks and Caicos to the US, opening new tourism opportunities. We know our customers in Denver and surrounds will enjoy easier access to beautiful beaches, unique island charm, and vibrant culture in one of the Caribbean’s most sought-after destinations.”
The addition of the Denver route further strengthens the Turks and Caicos Islands’ airlift portfolio and builds on recent successes in expanding access from key and emerging markets. Experience Turks and Caicos and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority will continue working closely with airline partners to identify opportunities for strategic growth and enhanced connectivity.
The new route will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft featuring 179 seats, including 20 in business class and 159 in economy.
The tentative flight schedule is below:
| Route | Start Date/Frequency | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Aircraft |
| DEN – PLS | Dec. 19, Weekly on Saturdays | 10:00 | 17:00 | Boeing 737 MAX 9 |
| PLS – DEN | Dec. 19, Weekly on Saturdays | 13:35 | 17:21 | Boeing 737 MAX 9 |
Schedule subject to change.
Customers can book flights at united.com and on the United app.
*Subject to Government approval
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, June 23, 2026 – A police briefing intended to update the public on crime trends in the Turks and Caicos Islands instead exposed what may be one of the most significant criminal investigations currently underway in the country.
When questioned about the June 14 shooting on Bible Street, Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey revealed that the incident stemmed from an
anti-human trafficking operation during which 12 women believed to be victims of human trafficking were rescued by law enforcement.
“The officers were engaged in an anti-human trafficking operation… 12 females were rescued or victims of human trafficking were rescued, and they are in our care and that investigation is advanced,” Bailey told reporters.
The revelation stunned many who had linked the Bible Street shooting to other recent violent incidents, including the June 12 murder in Five Cays. However, the Commissioner indicated the confrontation was connected to the anti-human trafficking investigation, though he declined to provide further details due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing case.
More than a week later, authorities continue to maintain that the investigation remains active. Magnetic Media has confirmed with police officials that no arrests have yet been made in connection with the alleged human trafficking operation.
The Commissioner also sounded the alarm over what appears to be an emerging trend involving teenage boys and serious criminal activity. In discussing recent incidents, Bailey suggested that some young offenders are operating within organized criminal networks and warned that law enforcement alone cannot solve the growing problem.
“My experience tells me that once they reach a threshold it is very difficult to bring them back,” Bailey said. “The social agencies will have to
get involved. We have to find a way to reach these unattached youth and to engage them and to create that positive reinforcement in their life.”
Despite those concerns, Bailey reported that overall crime in the Turks and Caicos Islands continues to trend sharply downward.
According to police statistics presented at the briefing, murders have fallen from 13 at this point last year to just one in 2026, representing a 92 percent reduction. Attempted murders have fallen by 100 percent, kidnappings by 75 percent, robberies by 34 percent, aggravated burglaries by 22 percent, firearm possession offences by 50 percent and incidents involving the discharge of firearms by 85 percent. Police reported that nearly every major category of serious crime has declined compared to the same period last year.
The lone murder recorded in the Turks and Caicos Islands for 2026 occurred on June 12 in Five Cays. While no arrest has been made in that case, the Commissioner indicated that investigators believe they know who is responsible.
“I am convinced and I am positive that the perpetrator is a teenager,” Bailey stated.
The press conference was held at Police Headquarters in Providenciales.
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