Almost two million visitors recorded in 2025

PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – The Turks and Caicos Islands saw an increase in stayover arrivals in December, seven percent higher than the corresponding period in 2024.

Preliminary data suggests that stay over arrivals by air for the month of December was 66,427 in comparison to 62,610 in December 2024.

From January to December 2025, preliminary visitor arrival numbers totalled 640,754; on par with the number recorded for the same period of 2024.

Stay Over Arrivals YTD December 2024/2025

The first quarter of the calendar year attracted the largest number of arrivals with visitor arrivals three percent higher than the first quarter of 2024.  Reduced airlift from the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably the Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue services, was however felt from the second quarter (April to June).  As a result, visitor arrivals dropped three percent in the second quarter.

By the third quarter of this year (July to September), geopolitical and economic conditions in the key source markets, namely the United States, led to further contraction of arrivals. In the last quarter of 2025, arrivals were impacted in October due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa but additional airlift from the USA and Canada resulted in an increase in arrivals in November and December.

Mr.  Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant of Experience Turks and Caicos, said December’s increase in stayover arrivals is an encouraging indicator of the sustained interest in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier destination.

“While we note and continue to monitor geopolitical shifts that affect us, Experience Turks and Caicos is focused on increasing marketing initiatives in our primary source markets. We have spent the last two years investing in groundwork such as crucial travel advisor training to assist them in selling the destination more effectively. In the next fiscal, we will be building on those initiatives with co-op activities with partners as well as out of home advertising to increase visitation to our destination,” he said.

In Cruise, the preliminary count of passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346, a 22 percent increase over last December.  This growth follows the berthing of 11 additional ships in Grand Turk this month.

From January to December, the cruise sector continued to outperform the same period last year, as the 1.3 million total cruise passengers recorded, marks a five percent Year-on-Year increase. 

The cruise sector experienced significant growth in the first quarter of 2025, with passenger arrivals surpassing last quarter by 53 percent.  In the second and third quarter however, several cruise lines adjusted their itineraries as vessels were pulled from the fleet or from the Caribbean region, which resulted in fewer passengers.

Arrivals dropped seven percent and 10 percent in the second and third quarters, respectively.  Double digit growth was recorded in the last two months of Quarter 4.  This growth however, was not sufficient to outweigh the drop in arrivals experienced in October, following the cancellation of cruise calls due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa.  Despite the late-quarter rebound, arrivals for the final quarter of 2025 closed six percent below the same period in 2024.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, February 12, 2026 — The Department of Trade is pleased to announce the launch of its Export Readiness Workshop Series, a key component of its Trade Technical Assistance Programme.

This workshop series will address priority areas critical to small business development in the Turks and Caicos Islands, offering practical guidance and hands-on support in the following areas:

1. Standards and Quality – Identification of and compliance with regulatory and market requirements
2. E-Commerce and Digital Trade – Expanding access to regional and international markets

The workshops will be held February 24–27, 2026 and will be delivered in an in-person, interactive format.  Each session is tailored to specific business sectors to ensure targeted support and practical application.

1.  Workshop 1 – February 24, 2026 | Agricultural Activities and Light Manufacturing (Food & Beverage)
2.  Workshop 2 – February 25, 2026 | Light Manufacturing (Arts & Crafts)
3.  Workshop 3 – February 26, 2026 | Light Manufacturing (Clothing, Jewelry & Apparel Accessories)
4.  Workshop 4 – February 27, 2026 | Light Manufacturing (Cosmetics & Skin Care)

Entrepreneurs and business owners are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance their operational capacity, improve export readiness and position their businesses for sustainable growth.

To register, please complete the registration form via the following link Capacity Building & Export Readiness Workshop – Fill out form

For more information, please contact the Department of Trade, Industry and Fair Competition.

☎️Phone: (649) 338-3703

Email: tradetci@gov.tc

Stay updated on announcements by following @tcidepartmentoftrade on Facebook, Instagram, and @MadeInTCI on   TikTok

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 11 February 2026: The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU) coordinated a multi-agency enforcement operation on Thursday, 29 January 2026, led by the Planning Department, with support from the Crown Land Unit, the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, and security provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. The operation, carried out at three different locations in Providenciales, formed part of ongoing government efforts to address unauthorised development and illegal occupation of land in accordance with governing legislation.

The operation commenced in Blue Hills, where five Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on unauthorised structures identified on Block and Parcel 60502/48.

Enforcement activity then moved to a second location off the Leeward Highway near Caicos Lodge, where six Section 58 Enforcement Notices were issued on additional unauthorised structures on Block and Parcel 60802/66.

The final phase of the operation took place in The Bight, where three unauthorised structures were removed, with all debris cleared from the site in keeping with established safety and environmental protocols.

The Informal Settlements Unit remains committed to working alongside its partner agencies to support lawful development, protect public and private land, and ensure that planning regulations are enforced in a coordinated and transparent manner across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Similar joint operations will continue as part of the Government’s wider strategy to address unauthorised development and informal settlement activity.