TCI News
Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment Sends 23 Recruits to Bermuda For Intensive Training, Bolstering Regional Partnerships
PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE NATIONAL SECURITY SECRETARIAT
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 11th July 2025: The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment (TCIR) is proud to announce that a contingent of 23 aspiring Marines departed the Islands on Friday, July 4, 2025, for a rigorous two-week recruit training course with the esteemed Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) in Bermuda. This marks a significant step in the continuous development and professionalization of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ burgeoning defense force.
Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Her Excellency Anya Williams, Deputy Governor, were present at the send-off to offer their support and well wishes to the departing recruits. In her comments, Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam stated, “This deployment will not only support the training of new recruits but also continue to strengthen the important partnership between the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the TCI Regiment. It is inspiring to see so many new recruits stepping up to serve, reinforcing our commitment to building greater defence capability across our Islands. Together, we are forging stronger ties and preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.”
The intensive recruit training program in Bermuda will provide the new TCIR recruits with foundational military skills and instill the core values essential for a disciplined and effective defense force. The comprehensive curriculum is designed to challenge participants both mentally and physically, preparing them for the diverse roles they will undertake in safeguarding the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Key areas of initial training include:
- Values and Standards – Instilling the core principles of integrity, discipline, selfless commitment, and respect that underpin
military service. - Skill at Arms – Fundamental instruction and practice in weapon handling, marksmanship, and safe operational procedures.
- Fieldcraft – Essential outdoor survival and tactical skills, including camouflage, concealment, and basic field living.
- Physical Fitness – A demanding program to build strength, endurance, and resilience, crucial for all military operations.
- Land Navigation – Training in map reading, compass use, and GPS navigation to ensure proficiency in diverse terrains.
- Foot Drills – Precision marching, parade ground movements, and ceremonial drills to foster discipline and cohesion.
- First Aid – Essential life-saving medical skills for combat and humanitarian scenarios.
- Teamwork and Leadership – Exercises designed to develop cohesion, communication, and leadership qualities from an early stage.
“This collaborative training initiative with the Royal Bermuda Regiment is an invaluable opportunity for our new recruits,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant, Commanding Officer, Turks, and Caicos Islands Regiment. “The RBR’s extensive experience and well-established training programs will provide our future Marines with a robust foundation, ensuring they are well-equipped to uphold the highest standards of defense, border protection, and disaster relief for the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment remains committed to investing in its personnel, fostering a highly trained and professional force capable of responding to the nation’s security needs and contributing to regional stability. The recruits are expected to return to the Turks and Caicos Islands ready to apply their newfound skills and integrate into the Regiment’s ongoing operations.
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.
News
The Department of Trade, Industry & Fair Competition to Host Export Readiness Workshop Under the theme “Empowering TCI Businesses for Local Growth and Global Markets.”
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.
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