News
The Turks and Caicos Islands Continues to Capture the Hearts of Travellers
Soaring Arrival Numbers Cement Turks and Caicos as the Ultimate Luxury Destination
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS (June 13th, 2024) – The Turks and Caicos Islands continue to capture the hearts of travellers, sealing its reputation as the top premium class destination in the Caribbean.
The month of May saw an impressive 64,727* air arrivals. This brings the total number of visitors to 336,053 for the year so far,
marking a 10.85 percent increase from January to May 2023. March stood out as the peak month, welcoming a record-breaking 77,559 visitors.
Minister of Tourism, the Hon Josephine Connolly, said she is pleased with the growth that seals the Turks and Caicos Islands as the top luxury destination in the Caribbean.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands continue to dominate the luxury market in the region and I am proud of the increase in visitation as this augurs well for the businesses that serve the industry. Our mission is to ensure that everyone benefits from the tourism industry across all the islands and we are trending in the right direction. As our SMART Destination Marketing and Management Organisation, Experience Turks and Caicos, puts more emphasis on data to guide its strategies, we are seeing areas to enhance our marketing and develop our emerging markets,” the Minister said.
The relationship between the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States continues to be strong with air capacity from that market to the destination increasing 31 percent for the first nine months of 2024, compared to the previous year. Load-factors are currently highest between May to August, with a dip forecasted for September.
Among the markets in the US with the highest load factors are New York, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Charlotte, and Fort Lauderdale. Smaller cities without direct flights have also posted growth, highlighting the appeal Turks and Caicos Islands has even among origin markets which require a layover to reach the destination.
The United States also lead in searches for the Turks and Caicos Islands. Search volumes from the USA have been ramping up. There were 10.84 million searches from the USA, an increase of 14 percent over 2023. There has also been increasing interest from Canada, as this market has finally surpassed 2023 search volumes for the year-to-date with 1.8 million searches so far.
In cruise, the month of May also saw the second highest passenger arrivals with 107,744 cruise visitors from 26 calls. This is a 73.74% surge from May 2023.
The Statistics Authority said the recorded total of cruise passenger arrivals for Q1 2024 was 266,353, a notable decrease of 6.5 percent, when compared to the previous year Q1 2023, which recorded 284,745 cruise ship passenger arrivals.
The Authority highlights, however, that in January 2024, there were 86,768 cruise ship passenger arrivals, higher than the average for January between 2015 and 2023 (average: 74,387.3 passengers). February 2024 saw 78,293 cruise passengers, again higher than the average for February from 2015 to 2023 (average: 76,572.3 passengers). March 2024 documented a significant increase in cruise ship passenger arrivals to 101,292. This was not only higher than the average for March from 2015 to 2023 (average: 71,753.9 passengers), but also a 1.1 percent increase from the 100,147 documented in the previous year, March of 2023.
*These are preliminary figures
The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.
The individuals and charges are as follows:
An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving
The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.
The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.
The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.
The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.
The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.
A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:
- Murder
The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.
A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
- Murder
- Attempted Murder
These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.
RBPF, PACD
by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for
journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”
Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”
Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.
The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.
Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.
Saunders believes AI can help.
He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.
He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.
His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”
For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.
That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us
Bahamas News
Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday
Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.
Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries
and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.
According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.
The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.
Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.
However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.
The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band
