Caribbean News
Turks and Caicos Returns to CHTA Caribbean Marketplace
San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 12, 2022 – The Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) and Turks and Caicos Tourist Board presented an impressive representation at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s 40th annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace held October 3rd-5th.
The region’s largest travel forum made a high-energy and heartwarming return to its live format this year, hosted by Discover Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association.
Karen Whitt, TCHTA Board Director and Marketing Chair for the regional event shared, “It was a beautiful reunion of the travel community. After nearly 3 years of virtual communications, the excitement to engage with travel partners and friends was palpable. As Lead for the event, I was very proud to have such strong participation from Turks and Caicos. There is a beautiful shift happening right now as the region is moving into a mode of growth, so to have our destination here ensuring our brand is front and center is priceless.”
The TCHTA, Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, The Hartling Group properties, Ocean Club Resorts, Tides Grace Bay, interCaribbean Airways, The Somerset, Villa Renaissance, and Seven Stars Resort were all a part of the delegation representing ‘brand TCI’.
Tanya Duelfer, Managing Director of U.S. Operations for Ocean Club Resorts shared why Ocean Club Resorts is always represented at the annual Marketplace, “Events like this where you can talk with your island and at-large partners is tremendously effective on keeping a pulse on the industry and market trends.” As for the feeling of the entire event she said, “It was good to finally be back, in person. We’ve worked hard over the years to establish Ocean Club Resorts within the TCI resort community and build strong relationships with our market partners. Being together in person…it’s so important for those relationships.”
This year, the Destination Resilience Awards were introduced with Turks and Caicos claiming the number one spot in the Human Resources and Staffing Category won by Grace Bay Car Rentals & Sales. The company nabbed the top stop by demonstrating their ability to maintain their employees throughout closure, support community food basket initiatives, provide personal and professional development opportunities to team members, new developments in the business operation, and their focus on sustainability. TCHTA CEO, Stacy Cox, accepted the award of GBCR’s behalf.
More than 1100 delegates from 28 countries, representatives from 19 buyer markets, and 350 supplier companies attended this year’s Marketplace resulting in over 14,000 appointments. The regional forum saw new interest with buyers from Latvia, Poland, Mexico, and India participating for the first time.
The meeting floor was busy throughout, and the State of the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Address delivered by CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig revealed that the Caribbean has now shifted from recovery to growth mode with affluent travellers driving that momentum. Data shows that the South America market should be a focus for the region, and that sustainable policies must be at the forefront of the region’s growth plan. She also told travel stakeholders that regional and multi-destination travel is another growth opportunity to be explored.
A key component of the Caribbean Marketplace is the destinations’ opportunity for an up-close and personal experience with the fourth estate. Updates, new brand campaigns, new developments, and features are shared with local, regional, and international journalists.
The Turks and Caicos press conference was led by CEO of the TCHTA, Stacy Cox, and Acting Director of the Tourist Board, Mary Lightbourne. Starting off the session with a vibrant video presentation produced by TCHTA members Visual Storytelling and SOS Media, Cox and Lightbourne shared industry updates on recent and upcoming resort openings; the $25m investment slated for the cruise sector; plans for the new Providenciales and South Caicos terminals; the destination’s recent awards and sustainability efforts; and the ongoing DMO transition. Feedback from media was outstanding, and interest remains piqued for projects in the pipeline in Turks and Caicos.
With forty-five appointments in two days, Turks and Caicos is still trending as a top destination among buyers and their clients. The TCHTA CEO shared, “There is nothing quite like these touchpoints with the travel community to gauge interest from buyers. We couldn’t be more pleased with the positive feedback we’ve received. Turks and Caicos is still top of mind for travel.”
Cox was also the recipient of a commemorative plaque in appreciation of her leadership as President of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE) from 2017-2020. “Reconnecting with fellow Association Executives from the region was also an invaluable part of the experience. This is always a great opportunity to hear how other destinations are faring, share best practices, and build relationships with incoming executives for continued dialogue and partnership with our brothers and sisters in the region.”
Marketplace is set apart as the Caribbean’s largest tourism marketing event and is one that many TCHTA member properties ensure is a part of their annual marketing calendar. Snjezana Andrews, General Manager of The Somerset on Grace Bay, shared her property’s interest in attending, “The event, I feel, could not have been at a more opportune time to re-energize our base, revitalize existing relationships that may have fell off and make new ones; a great “meet and greet” to put faces to names and actually restore the human connection of face-to-face interactions. The buyers were vibrant and ready to link with its industry partners, and based on the overall feel of the event, the sellers showed just as much enthusiasm. I know that I did! … Kudos to CHTA for making this all possible again as we all travel the road back to normalcy!”
The CHTA has announced that it will likely produce the next Caribbean Marketplace event as soon as Spring 2023, with a host destination to be announced soon.
A week of wind, water, and heartbreak
From Haiti’s hillsides to Bermuda’s reefs, seven Caribbean nations have been battered, bruised, and forever marked by Hurricane Melissa — a storm that tested not only the region’s infrastructure but its unshakable spirit of unity.
Saturday–Sunday, October 25–26 – The First Strike: Hispaniola
Before the storm even earned its name, torrential rain and flash floods swept across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, claiming lives and
tearing through rural communities.
In southern Haiti, rivers burst their banks, swallowing roads and homes; 23 people were confirmed dead by Sunday evening. Across the border, one death was reported in the Dominican Republic as swollen rivers cut off villages in Barahona and Pedernales.
By nightfall, the tropical system had strengthened — and the Caribbean knew it was facing something historic.
Monday, October 27 – Evacuations and Airlifts
In The Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip Davis issued a mandatory evacuation for the MICAL Islands — Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, and Ragged Island.
Bahamasair added extra flights as the nation braced for what forecasters warned could become the strongest storm in nearly two decades.
Meanwhile, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, and Cuba activated their national emergency operations centers.
Tuesday, October 28 – Jamaica and Haiti Hit Hard
By afternoon, Hurricane Melissa made landfall near St Elizabeth, Jamaica, as a Category 5 hurricane — winds of 185 mph, central pressure 892 mb, the lowest ever recorded so close to the island.
Roads collapsed, bridges washed away, and Black River Hospital lost its roof. Power failed for 72 percent of the island.
BOJ TV footage shows split asphalt, sparking lines, and flooded communities abandoned for safety.
Initially four were reported dead, that grew to seven deaths and heavy damage in 170 communities; Andrew Holness, Jamaican Prime Minister calling it “a national test of resilience.”
Haiti, still recovering from the weekend’s flooding, was hit again as outer bands dumped more rain on Les Cayes and Jacmel, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Wednesday, October 29 – Crossing to Cuba
Weakened slightly to Category 4 (145 mph), Melissa tracked north-northeast at 8 mph, hammering eastern Cuba with hurricane-force winds
and mudslides. Over 15 000 people were evacuated from Santiago de Cuba and Holguín.
In Turks & Caicos, the Regiment deployed to Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South, North and Middle Caicos, preparing shelters and securing public buildings.
Thursday, October 30 – The Bahamas and the All Clear
Melissa’s speed increased, sparing the northern Caribbean its worst.
The Bahamas Airport Authority closed 13 airports from Mayaguana to Exuma International; none reported casualties, though infrastructure suffered.
In Turks & Caicos, the all-clear came early Thursday after minimal impact. Premier Washington Misick expressed gratitude and pledged support for neighbors:
“We must act — not only with words, but with compassion and deeds.”
Friday, October 31 – Counting the Cost
By Friday, Melissa had weakened to Category 3 (120 mph) north of Cuba.
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology issued its final alert, lifting warnings for the southern islands.
Regional toll:
- Haiti: 23 dead, thousands displaced.
- Jamaica: 7 dead, 170 communities damaged; 72% without electricity
- Cuba: 2 dead, 15, 000 evacuated.
- Dominican Republic: 1 dead, flooding in southwest.
- Bahamas: 0 dead, minor infrastructure damage and flooding in southeast.
- Turks & Caicos: minimal to no impact.
Relief and Reconnection
The Cayman Islands became the first government to touch down in Jamaica post-storm. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly led a contingent bringing a plane-load of essentials and pledged US $1.2 million in aid.
Reggae icon Shaggy arrived on a private jet with friends, delivering food, medical kits, and hygiene supplies.
Meanwhile, Starlink and FLOW Jamaica activated emergency satellite internet across Jamaica providing free connectivity through November.
From overseas, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking during his Asia tour, announced that American search-and-rescue teams and disaster aid will support the region.
“They can depend on U.S. assistance as they recover from this historic storm,” he said.
Faith, Funds, and False Websites
The Government of Jamaica and the Sandals Foundation have both launched verified donation portals for recovery. Officials are warning against fake crowdfunding pages posing as relief sites and urging donors to use only official channels.
A Seventh Nation in the Crosshairs – Bermuda
As Hurricane Melissa left the Caribbean basin, Bermuda found itself next in line.
Forecasts indicated the storm would pass just west of the island late Thursday into Friday, likely as a Category 1 to 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 105 mph.
Though far weaker than when it ravaged Jamaica, officials issued a hurricane warning, urging residents to secure property and expect tropical-storm conditions.
By all appearances Bermuda is heeding the warnings
The Human Response
Across the Caribbean, solidarity surged.
The Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Miami began airlifting relief supplies, while churches, civic groups, and businesses in The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos organized drives for displaced families.
“Your dedication gave our islands the strength to face the storm,” Premier Misick said. “Together, as one Caribbean family, we will rise stronger.”
Resilience in the Wake
Melissa’s winds may have faded, but her impact endures. Engineers are inspecting bridges, hillsides, and water systems; volunteers are clearing debris and distributing aid in communities still cut off.
From Haiti’s ravaged river valleys to Jamaica’s sugar towns, from Cuba’s eastern hills to The Bahamas’ salt ponds and Bermuda’s reefs, the region once again stands at the crossroads of ruin and renewal — and leans, as always, toward hope and a faithful God
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
