TCI News
Vote for the Turks and Caicos Islands in the 2024 World Travel Awards
From the Source Markets
The Turks and Caicos Islands have been nominated in the 2024 World Travel Awards in the following categories:
Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Dive Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Island Destination
Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board
Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination
Voting is now open and runs until April 7th, 2024. To vote, please register at https://www.worldtravelawards.com/vote.
The Turks and Caicos Islands continue to attract the attention of travel journalists in our source markets. Here is a round-up of the publications that recently featured our beautiful destination.
Virtuoso.com
In a Virtuoso article titled “Nine of the Best Beaches in the Caribbean”, well-known travel writer Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon listed Wild Cow Run on Middle Caicos as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. She said in the article: “Grace Bay on Turks and Caicos’ main island of Providenciales gets all the love, but with a little effort, travelers can find their own equally beautiful strand. First step: Hop the ferry to North Caicos, then pick up a rental car (your Virtuoso advisor can help with the arrangements) and follow the causeway south for about 90 minutes, almost to the end of neighboring Middle Caicos. There, tucked away on the island’s eastern tip and shielded by a stand of casuarina trees, is Wild Cow Run, a two-mile stretch of blinding-white sand lapped by crystalline water that’s worth the trip.” Read the article HERE
Toronto Star
In the article titled “I visited the Caribbean hot spot of the moment, home to the best beach in the world”, writer Chris Johns said:” I’ve travelled across a few of the Caribbean’s roughly 3 million square kilometres and love many of the islands for different reasons, but the quality of the water around Turks and Caicos remains among the most beautiful I’ve seen anywhere outside of French Polynesia. Read the article HERE.
TTG Media
In an article entitled “The Caribbean Island That’s Out Of Bounds To Cruise Ships”, writer Katherine Masters, who was among the journalists that flew to Providenciales via Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow, London, said: “A day earlier, as the plane descends into Providenciales, the third largest island in Turks and Caicos and the most populated, I am struck by how flat the archipelago is. The limestone origins of these islands have helped create two of the destination’s calling cards, its powder-white beaches and clear, azure waters. The limestone is soft as it crumbles – there’s almost no gravel on the beaches and ocean floor to discolour the sand.” Read the article HERE
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?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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