News
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS STRENGTHENS PARTNERSHIPS WITH EUROPEAN TRAVEL ADVISORS AT ILTM CANNES
#TurksandCaicos, December 15, 2023 – Experience Turks and Caicos joined a delegation of seven hoteliers from the Turks and Caicos Islands at ILTM Cannes which ran from December 4th to 7th, 2023.
ILTM Cannes is a leading trade show for luxury travel and brings together travel specialists with hoteliers and tourism agencies from luxury destinations around the world.
Mrs. Candesha Mills, Product Development Manager, Experience Turks and Caicos, represented the organisation at the four-day trade show held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France.
The trade show centres around one-on-one appointments and networking sessions which allowed tourism stakeholders from the Turks and Caicos Islands to meet, and do business with influential Travel Advisors in the luxury market with the aim of increasing visitation and spend on island.
Promoting the Turks and Caicos Islands at ILTM Cannes further positions the destination as a preferred choice for luxury travelers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The gateway to those markets has opened up significantly with the launch of a twice-weekly, non-stop Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow, London to Providenciales and appeals to guests looking for ease of travel.
Ms. Racquel Brown, Change Manager and Interim CEO, Experience Turks and Caicos, said the participation of Experience Turks and Caicos at ILTM Cannes was, therefore, a great opportunity to ensure the Turks and Caicos Islands is at the top of mind for Luxury Travel Advisors when recommending luxury destinations to their clients for 2024 and beyond.
“By emphasising our new marketing thrust in the UK and Europe as a multi-island destination we will increase visitation beyond Providenciales and thereby expand economic opportunities for our communities and stakeholders in our sister islands through day tours and overnight stays which increases spend on island,” she said.
During the trade show, Ms. Mills met with Travel Advisors from several European countries.
“I was privileged to engage with distinguished representatives from Armenia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, The Netherlands, USA, UK, and Ukraine. It was a collaborative effort dedicated to highlighting the richness and uniqueness that the Turks and Caicos Islands offer to travellers worldwide,” she said.
Mr. Kashmie Ali, Managing Director of Sailrock Resort was part of the delegation. He said: “We’ve been thrilled to be a part of the Turks and Caicos team at ILTM and are honoured to bring Sailrock and South Caicos to such a premier and prestigious global stage. The feedback from the agencies we have been meeting with is not only encouraging but exciting for the entirety of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Mr. Grant Noble, COO of Beach Enclave also expressed satisfaction with his experience at ILTM Cannes.
“We had a wonderful experience at ILTM Cannes, the premier luxury travel show – especially exhibiting with our colleagues on Turks & Caicos Islands. Appointments were quite productive, giving us the opportunity to present our unique product to both existing and new agency partners. We look forward to attending 2024’s ILTM with Turks and Caicos,” he said.
The delegation to ILTM Cannes also comprised Ms. Sara Burnett, Marketing Sailrock Resort; Ms. Rebecca Sajous, Director of Leisure Sales, Beach Enclave; Mr. Ling Riley, Director of Sales, The Palms Turks and Caicos; Ms. Karen Whitt, VP Sales and Marketing, The Shore Club Turks and Caicos, Ms. Victoria Crammer, Paradise Promotions, The Shore Club Turks and Caicos; Ms. Francine Stewart, Director of Sales and Marketing, Ambergris Cay; Andreas Naegele, VP of Hospitality, Turks and Caicos Collection; and Ms. Melina Farla, VP Branded Operations, Sales and Marketing, Salterra Resort, South Caicos.
Photo Captions:
Header: Mrs. Candesha Mills (Right) with Daniela Guerra of Creative Travel, Mexico (Middle) and Ms. Melina Farla, VP Branded Operations, Sales and Marketing, Salterra Resort, South Caicos (Left).
Insert: Candesha Mills, Product Development Manager, Experience Turks and Caicos with Ms. Nicole Eagles, ALG Vacations, UK
About the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands is made up of two groups of islands in the Lucayan Archipelago: The larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, thus the name. It is home to the best beaches in the world with majestic white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Each island and cay are a destination of its own. Providenciales is home to world-renowned Grace Bay Beach, luxury hotels, resorts, villas, spas and restaurants. Grand Turk is ‘home away from home’ for our cruise passengers, and our sister islands are the gateway to nature, exploration, and culture. Considered the world’s best-kept secret, TCI is an effortless escape – with an ease of connectivity through direct flights from major cities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Americas has recorded 47,459 confirmed measles cases and 44 deaths in 2026, the region’s highest case count in 22 years, prompting the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to urge stronger vaccination, surveillance and rapid outbreak response.
As of July 18, cases were already more than triple the 15,011 recorded during all of 2025. Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Peru
account for 95% of confirmed cases. Guatemala leads with 30,371 cases and 26 deaths, followed by Mexico with 12,255 cases and 17 deaths.
PAHO classifies the regional public health risk as very high, citing active outbreaks, immunity gaps, international travel and populations with inadequate vaccination coverage.
The organization says prevention starts with vaccination. Countries are being urged to achieve and maintain at least 95% coverage with two doses of measles-containing vaccine, particularly protecting children and under-vaccinated communities.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash.
PAHO is urging health authorities to detect suspected cases early and respond rapidly to stop transmission. Unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people, young children and communities with limited healthcare access face increased risk of severe illness and death.
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