TCI News
Turks and Caicos Islands Public Service Welcomes Over 100 High School Students to its Summer Internship Programme
Turks and Caicos, July 13, 2025 – The Office of the Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands proudly announces the successful orientation of over 100 fourth and fifth-form students into the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Service High School Summer Internship Programme.
Designed to empower young minds and nurture future leaders, the Internship Programme provides students with the opportunity to explore various facets of public service. Participants submitted applications that included a 300-word statement outlining their career aspirations and the specific work areas they wish to explore within the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.
The program spans across the entire Turks and Caicos Islands including the islands of Grand Turk, Providenciales, South, North and Middle
Caicos allowing the students to gain invaluable experience through placements across multiple government offices and departments, including: The Office of the Governor, The Office of the Deputy Governor, The Office of the Premier, Communications Directorate, The Department of Motor Vehicles, The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Fire and Rescue Department, The Tourism Regulations Department, The Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, The Dental and Primary Healthcare Units, TCI Border Force, Fisheries Department, Public Works, Planning, The Statistics Authority, The TCI Sports Commission and The TCI Ports Authority.
Throughout the programme, students will engage in hands-on learning, mentorship and professional development. This experience aims to equip the students with essential competencies for their future careers while fostering a sense of civic responsibility.
The programme not only emphasises professional growth but also aims to inspire these young individuals to consider careers in Public Service, ultimately contributing to the continued development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service, H.E. Anya Williams, who participated in the student orientation sessions across the Islands, stated: “This week, it was both an honour and a privilege to welcome over 100 high school interns to the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Service.
Their enthusiasm, curiosity and eagerness to learn were truly inspiring and a reminder of the bright future ahead for our country.
As someone who began my professional journey as a summer intern at the Ministry of Finance, I understand firsthand the lasting value and impact these types of programs can have. It was during that formative experience that I discovered my passion for finance, a passion that has guided my career ever since.
This program alongside the Tertiary Internship and Apprenticeship Program, which this year welcomed over 80 college students to the
Public Service, plays a vital role in fostering early professional development as it offer students the chance to engage in hands on learning, work alongside experienced professionals and to witness the day-to-day operations of government, providing exposure to the many roles and responsibilities that exist within the public sector, some that many students may never have otherwise considered.
Spending time with these bright young minds was truly inspiring. Listening to them speak about their goals, dreams and aspirations was not only uplifting but also a powerful reminder of why we invest in youth development. I sincerely hope that this experience plants a seed in many of them, one that will grow into a lifelong interest in public service, as it would bring me great joy to see some of these very students return to government in the years to come, this time in permanent roles, continuing the cycle of service and leadership.
To all the interns: welcome, and thank you for choosing to spend your summer with us. Your presence is not only valued, it is essential to shaping the future of the Public Service.”
The internship programme is a 6-week programme that will end on August 15th, 2025.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 20 February 2026 — The Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), in collaboration with key
government agencies, coordinated a multi-agency enforcement exercise on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at Block and Parcel 60609/33 in the Five Cays area.
The exercise was led by the Crown Land Unit, pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land. The ISU coordinated the operation, with support provided by the Planning Department and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force, while the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured security throughout the activity.
The enforcement action followed a series of inspections conducted by the Crown Land Unit throughout Five Cays, which identified several illegally constructed buildings made of concrete and timber on sections of the subject parcel. In keeping with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance, occupied structures were served Letters of Illegal Occupation, delivered by hand to occupants and
posted on structures where individuals were absent. Incomplete and unoccupied structures were served Notices of Unauthorized Occupation pursuant to section 22 of the Ordinance. A total of ten (10) Letters of Illegal Occupation and three (3) Notices of Unauthorized Occupation were issued during the exercise.
The Informal Settlements Unit reiterates that these coordinated enforcement exercises form part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to uphold the law, protect Crown land, and manage informal settlements in a structured and lawful manner. Members of the public are reminded that unauthorised occupation and development on Crown land is unlawful and subject to enforcement action.
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.
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