Long Stay Tourist Arrivals Up over 40% says TCIAA

PLS Welcomes 24,102 Travellers

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, January 23, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos Islands have successfully surpassed both pre-pandemic level arrivals and its 2021 banner year for visitor arrivals for the Christmas season. The statistics shared by Nikeva Ariza, Manager of Corporate Affairs and Communications for the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) may put the country on track for another record-breaking period.

In 2019 prior to COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, between December 24th and January 2nd 2020 there were 20,451 arrivals on 220 flights into the island.

In 2020 during the heights of the Coronavirus Pandemic that number dropped to a dismal 7697, plunging the Turks and Caicos into recession; the country recorded as among the hardest hit fiscally among tourism dependent economies. In 2020, tourism airport gateways were shut from April to July.

Following the introduction of the Coronavirus vaccine in December 2020, arrival of the first batch in TCI in February 2021 travel confidence was clawing its way back and tourism industry recovery saw some 17,112 travellers come into the Turks and Caicos on 227 aircrafts.

Again the new year, following the winter and cold and flu season, there was a surge in COVID cases, deaths and a far more contagious variant; omicron.  It was still no match, however, for the pent up demand and for the Turks and Caicos Islands, long stay visitors in the 2022-2023 holiday season exceeded the two best years on record for the country and attracted just under 7,000 more guests.

A massive 24,102 arrivals entered the Providenciales International Airport on 241 commercial flights. Hotels recorded positive numbers as well.

We spoke to Lindy Rigby of Grace Bay Resorts, who explained their arrivals were up to 90 percent with a good outlook for the first quarter.

The numbers were recorded even in the midst of a major winter storm in the country’s top market, the United States, which crashed airlines itineraries grounding hundreds of flights over the period.

The TCI also surpassed its Q1 record for tourist arrivals in 2022 easily fueling hopes of another brilliant year for the country’s leading industry.