Turks and Caicos Islands featured in Grand style at the 2023 Routes World Forum and Expo in Istanbul

Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands – The Turks and Caicos Islands, a luxury tourism destination renowned for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture were prominently featured at the 28th edition of Routes World, held in Istanbul, Turkey from 15th to 17 th October 2023.

The Routes World Conference was hosted by iGA – Istanbul Airport, at the Istanbul Expo Center (Istanbul Fuar Merkezi). The prestigious event serves as a platform for the aviation industry, bringing together key decision-makers and influencers from airlines, airports, tourism authorities, and aviation stakeholders from across the world to build air services, establish new routes, and enhance the industry’s global economy. The 2023 edition of Routes World facilitated conversations between more than 3,000 senior network planners and industry partners.

The Turks and Caicos Islands’ delegation included prominent figures in the aviation and tourism sectors, Hon. Arlington Musgrove, Minister for Border Services and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (“TCIAA”); Mrs. Athenee Harvey-Basden, the Permanent Secretary for Finance, Investment and Trade, and Ms. Althea Been, the Permanent Secretary for Border Services who are both Board Members for the TCIAA, Mr. Wesley Clerveaux, the Permanent Secretary for Tourism also representing the Destination Management and Marketing Organisation (“Experience Turks and Caicos”), representatives from the Board of Directors and Management for the TCIAA; and Mrs. Stacey Cox, the CEO for the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (“TCHTA”).

Throughout the three-day Expo, the delegation successfully showcased the unparalleled beauty of the destination and explored fresh opportunities for air connectivity not only to Providenciales but also to our sister islands, Grand Turk and South Caicos. They conducted meetings with airline representatives from renowned companies, including Alaska Airlines, Air Transat, Air France, Air Europa, Condor, Delta, Jet Blue, LATAM, Avianca, Flair Airlines, Breeze Airlines, and American Airlines.

In addition, the delegation engaged in discussions regarding marketing and data solutions essential for the strategic planning of future routes with Expedia Group Media Solutions, IATA, Avia Pro Consulting, and Airbus. Furthermore, they explored potential collaborations to establish direct routes with institutions such as the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Denver International Airport, Tampa International Airport, LAX International Airport, and Ontario Airport.

Apart from showcasing the Turks and Caicos Islands and making attendees aware of the destination’s unique selling points, such as world-class resorts, warm hospitality, and diverse attractions, the Expo was an opportunity for the delegation to assess the viability of the destination’s tourism product in an increasingly competitive global environment. The Expo revealed the need for further strategic planning and heavily concentrated marketing of the destination beyond North America (e.g. Europe and South America) in order to improve the attractiveness of the Turks and Caicos Islands as a destination for airlines establishing new and direct routes. This is particularly important in a world where modern travelers are becoming increasingly preferential to destinations where connectivity is not only cost-efficient but requires less transiting through more than one airport.

The 29th edition of Routes World will be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain from 6th – 8 th October 2024. The TCIAA plans to continue to showcase the Turks and Caicos Islands and to work toward establishing new routes throughout the Americas, including South America and will appear at the Routes Americas which will be held in Bogota, Colombia 19th -21st March 2024.