Turks and Caicos Islands Records Highest Third-Quarter Stayover Arrivals  

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (November 4th, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands recorded its highest number of stayover arrivals for the third quarter of the year, with approximately 130,000 visitors welcomed between July and September, representing a three percent increase over the same period in 2025.

Preliminary figures from Experience Turks and Caicos show that the destination recorded 514,670 stayover arrivals for the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 25,048 visitors, or five percent, compared with the same period last year. Growth was recorded in every month from January through September, underscoring the destination’s continued appeal among travellers and the sustained demand for its tourism product.

Stay Over Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)

September closed the quarter on a positive note, with 20,204 stayover arrivals, seven percent more than the 18,795 recorded in September 2025. The year-to-date total of 514,670 is the highest number of stayover arrivals ever recorded for the January-to-September period.

Commenting on the record stayover arrivals, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly said: “These record arrivals are an encouraging achievement for the Turks and Caicos Islands and a reflection of the continued confidence visitors have in our destination. However, I’ve always maintained that the true measure of tourism’s success cannot simply be the number of visitors arriving on our shores. It must also be measured by the opportunities we create for our people.”

“Our vision is to build a stronger, higher-value tourism industry where Turks and Caicos Islanders are not simply employees, but entrepreneurs, business owners and active participants in the economic opportunities tourism creates. This is why our recent Community Connect meetings across the sister islands were so important. We want to engage directly with our communities, understand their challenges and ensure that as our tourism industry grows, the opportunities for our people grow alongside it. Ultimately, tourism must do more than bring people to our shores. It must improve the lives of the people who call these islands home.”

Cruise arrivals reflect return to regular itineraries

Cruise passenger arrivals at the Grand Turk Cruise Port followed a different trend during the first nine months of 2026, with figures reflecting a return to more typical cruise itineraries following an unusually strong period in 2025.

Last year, cruise lines added Grand Turk to their itineraries, resulting in exceptionally high passenger volumes and cruise calls. With itineraries returning to more regular patterns this year, cruise passenger arrivals declined year over year throughout the first nine months.

The destination received 62,095 cruise passengers in September, a 22 percent decrease from the 79,341 recorded in September 2025. From January through September, total cruise passenger arrivals stood at 838,533, compared with 1,016,532 during the same period last year, representing an 18 percent decline.

Cruise Arrivals by Quarter (2025/2026)

While the cruise figures reflect a normalisation from last year’s elevated numbers, the continued growth in stayover arrivals provides a positive indicator of the destination’s performance in its overnight visitor market.

It is projected that the month-on-month increases in stayover arrivals will continue into the upcoming winter season, especially with the additional airlift expected from new and existing gateways in Canada and the US.