TCI News
Invest Turks and Caicos Unveils Categories for The MSMES “A Celebration of Excellence”
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 23rd October 2025: Invest Turks and Caicos has announced the official
award categories for the upcoming MSMEs, returning on Friday, November 21st, 2025, under the theme “A Celebration of Excellence.”
Held biennially, the MSMEs stands as the premier celebratory event for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The black-tie, invite-only affair will once again shine a spotlight on the visionaries and innovators driving national growth through enterprise, creativity, and purpose.
This year’s awards will feature ten categories, each designed to celebrate a unique facet of entrepreneurial excellence:
- Entrepreneur of the Year – Honouring exceptional leadership, vision, and impact.
- WonderWoman Award – Celebrating the power and influence of women in business.
- NextGen Icon – Spotlighting young innovators shaping the future of entrepreneurship.
- Digital Transformer – Recognising excellence in digital innovation and modernization.
- Champion of Cause – Honouring purpose-driven businesses uplifting community and culture.
- Family Islands Award – Celebrating innovation and resilience beyond Providenciales.
- Marine Enterprise Award – Recognising excellence in water-based and marine industries.
- Beyond Borders Award – Honouring MSMEs expanding TCI’s reach to the world.
- Innovative Business Idea Award – Celebrating creativity that redefines what’s possible.
- People’s Choice Award – Recognising the brands and entrepreneurs most admired by the public.
Alexa Cooper, Vice President of SME Development, shared this year’s theme was chosen to reflect the remarkable growth and maturity within the MSME Programme.
“Over the years, we’ve seen entrepreneurs evolve from small start-ups into industry leaders. Many have expanded their reach, built strong
linkages with larger institutions, and are now operating at higher levels of excellence. This year’s theme, ‘A Celebration of Excellence,’ captures that evolution,” said Cooper.
Administered by Invest Turks and Caicos, The MSME Programme remains one of the agency’s flagship initiatives, providing grants, mentorship, and capacity-building support to entrepreneurs across the islands. The programme continues to play a vital role in driving diversification, sustainability, and inclusive growth within the local economy.
Dawn Higgs, Director of the Business Support and Development Unit, highlighted the importance of recognising the diversity and resilience of the small business sector.
“Each category tells a story about the strength and spirit of entrepreneurship in Turks and Caicos,” said Higgs. “From our Family Islands to our marine-based enterprises, every business represents an important part of our economic ecosystem. These awards are about honouring that collective contribution; the creativity, commitment, and courage that continue to move our nation forward.”
While The MSMEs is an invite-only event, the wider community is encouraged to follow along through social media and celebrate the businesses and entrepreneurs making an impact across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
For updates, visit www.investturksandcaicos.tc or follow @msmeprogramme on social media.
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.
