TCI News
TCHTA Encourages Environmental Protection for World Environmental Day 2019
#Providenciales, June 5, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – In recognition of World Environmental Day, June 5, 2019, the TCHTA is doing its part to raise awareness around environmental protection in Turks and Caicos. As such, they are reminding all residents and visitors to use this day as an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to being environmentally responsible and maintaining a viable tourism product.
In keeping with the theme of the day, the TCHTA encourages all residents and visitors to keep their surrounding areas and communities clean. “The responsibility of maintaining our environment falls on each and every one of us,” said Todd Foss, newly elected president of the TCHTA. “It’s important that we all do our part, and we’re hoping that we can encourage more and more people to join in on keeping the country clean and beautiful”.
Speaking about the impact to the tourism sector, Foss said, “Environmental protection and economic prosperity go hand-in-hand, especially for our small destination. We would like to remind all residents and guests that their everyday actions can either help or harm the natural resources of this country. We all contribute to the long-term success of tourism in the TCI.”
The TCHTA has long been committed to this cause. Through its bi-annual TCI Shines Initiative, the association focuses on the cleanliness of the destination and encourages all residents to make continued efforts to keep the destination ‘beautiful by nature’. The association has also taken the environmental message to the schools through programs such as the TCI Shines Schools’ Big Bin Competition and the Green Project; a collaboration with the environmental clubs.
“The sensitization and education of our country’s young minds is important because they are the ones who will drive the message home to their families and take these values into the future,” said Stacy Cox, CEO of the Hotel Association. “We commend the TCI Government for their forward movement on the plastic ban initiative. We applaud their environmental commitment and look forward to continuing our work with the local youth as we roll out our educational program in the near future, and we are happy to once again collaborate with the DECR in these efforts”.
“A big part of our efforts to maintain our destination is reducing, or eliminating where possible, single-use plastics in the country,” said Cox. “A number of our members have already replaced plastic straws with paper alternatives and we’re now working to educate the public on the danger that single-use plastics pose to our country”.
The TCHTA supports all efforts to increase environmental awareness and they encourage everyone to use World Environmental Day 2019 as a day to reflect on their environmental choices and how it will impact the future generations of this country.
“A sustainable future begins with you!” she concluded.
Release: TCHTA
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.
