News
TREVOR MUSGROVE REFLECTS ON TWO YEARS AS PRESIDENT OF TCHTA
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, May 15, 2023 – Post-election, Trevor Musgrove now moves from the role of TCHTA President to Chairman. Musgrove delivered his final message to members at the association’s recent AGM, before passing the torch to the newly elected President, James McAnally.
Reflecting on his two years, Trevor says, “Through my involvement as a Board Director in previous years, I knew the role would be both challenging and rewarding.” He continued, “As an Allied Member, it was important to me that we worked to bring even more small businesses into the membership and forged a better relationship with government. These were my main goals.” 
As Chair of the Advocacy Committee, Musgrove’s final report on February 24th was an overview of the organization’s success in representing its members, the tourism industry, and the country’s communities. Advocacy issues over the past two years ran the gamut of Immigration and Border Control regulations, Human Resource concerns, Crime, and more.
In 2022, the association’s efforts were chiefly focused on the big changes announced by government for the DMMO transition and lobbying for responsive and aggressive tactics in the face of the country’s heightened crime wave. Back in 2021 when Musgrove was first elected to the seat, the country was moving out of its ‘closed borders’ period, and many crucial decisions needed to be made for the safety and protection of the country and its people while balancing the need for an economic rebound.
Incidentally, the TCHTA Board and current government both took seats around the same time in 2021, and Musgrove’s team engaged the Ministers early to pledge a continued commitment to partnership. This, Musgrove says, paid off.
“Thankfully, the government embraced the need for public and private stakeholders to be engaged so that the needs of the country were addressed holistically,” he shared. “They kept us involved and ensured feedback and data from our members was included when major decisions were being made.”
The Chairman says he is filled with pride over the accomplishments he and his outgoing Board of Directors achieved together and is appreciative of the all-hands-on-deck collaboration.
During the period of his Presidency, the TCHTA launched its Member-2-Member program which was a significant move to strengthening the network of businesses and encouraging B-2-B participation, and one Musgrove looks forward to seeing expand in its reach.
It was a busy and eventful two years as the TCHTA worked diligently to assist in the matters affecting the country during a time when the industry was getting ‘back to business’. This included assisting the government with:
- Airport overcrowding after the reopening of the country’s borders
- Lobbying the CDC on country’s status on global site
- Setting up multiple COVID-19 testing sites for visitors and residents
- Input on Beach Vending policy
- Lobbying for swift and aggressive responses to crime
- Endorsement of the Gun Amnesty program
- Engagement with Ministry of Tourism and DMMO consultants
- Providing data for inclusion in vaccination mandate Cabinet discussions
Musgrove says this list is far from exhaustive but shows the level of engagement and continued efforts of the Board and the TCHTA’s committees over the last two years.
“We have also maintained our focus on community efforts and ensured that during our milestone 30thanniversary year in 2022, our calendar included various activities engaging the community because we simply couldn’t do it without them,” said Musgrove.
Among the activities referenced were the 30 Mighty Mahogany trees planted throughout the country; the adoption of 30 coral reefs through the Reef Fund, and giveaway competitions open to the public. In addition to the commemorative initiatives, Musgrove is proud of the association’s support of the South Caicos back-to-school program and the ADIP local film festival sponsorship.
He was pleased to have been at the helm to see the TCHTA’s signature programs “TCI Shines”, “Hospitality Adventures” and “Hello Tourist” come back after the necessary hiatus, and the association’s premier luxury magazine, “Destination”, return to resort rooms and to the international market.
When asked how it felt to be leaving the role, Musgrove had this to say: “It is bittersweet for me. It allowed me to play a more active part in the important work we do, and I’ve enjoyed every minute.” Musgrove says he has done his
best to lead with integrity and purpose and looks forward to giving his full support to the new President, as was done for him by his predecessor.
He shared his confidence in James McAnally, who will now lead a new Board of Directors for the 2023 to 2025 term, “Jamie is a committed and dedicated individual with a love for everything Turks and Caicos. He has been a part of the association for many years as a Director and is a head-down, hands-to-the-wheel gentleman. Always hard at work, and always thinking ahead for what can be done to make Brand TCI even stronger. He is also passionate about protecting our natural resources which is a great benefit as we move toward stronger sustainability efforts for the country.”
When asked why he chose not to put himself forward for the seat in the recent association elections, Trevor said, “Unfortunately my other commitments did not allow for it, but I am no less dedicated to the TCHTA and the work we do to protect our members, our product, and the sustainability of the Turk and Caicos Islands.”
He shared how humbled he has been by the wave of support and encouragement he received throughout this time. “A big thank you to everyone who advised or encouraged me along the way. I will forever be appreciative of your support.”
Musgrove says he leaves the post humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead alongside a group of dedicated and passionate individuals and hopes that whatever he brought to the role has been for the betterment of the association, Brand TCI, and this country that he loves so dearly.
February is National Self- Check Month and family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, OH, John Hanicak, MD, highlights why at home self-checks are extremely important when it comes to not just early cancer detection but identifying other illnesses too and offers tips on what to look out for.
“Sometimes I look at them as sort of like your check engine light on the car, just like there would be a red flashing light that tells you that
there’s something wrong with a car and prompts you to bring that in and get serviced. Your body does the same thing. It gives you warning signs to look into that symptom a little bit further,” said Hanicak.
Dr. Hanicak said self-checks are going to be a little different for everyone.
However, in general, he recommends looking for anything that may seem abnormal, such as unexplained weight loss, blood in your urine, bumps and bruises that won’t heal, and changes in bowel habits.
For example, if you suddenly start going to the bathroom a lot more than you used to, that could be a sign of something more serious.
He also suggests doing regular skin checks and documenting any moles or spots that start to look different.
“Realize that you are your own person. There’s nobody else in the world exactly like you. You’ve got your own set of ideas, your own family history and your own genetics. Know what is normal for you, and when that changes, that’s the kind of thing that we would be interested in talking about,” said Dr. Hanicak.
Dr. Hanicak notes that self-checks are not meant to replace cancer screenings, as those are just as important to keep up with.
Press Release: Cleveland Clinic
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
