The Turks and Caicos Islands has emerged as the best-performing destination in the Americas for 2023, according to the latest UN Tourism Barometer, with the Caribbean nation seeing an arrivals jump 127% since (pre-pandemic) 2019.
When the Turks and Caicos Islands re-opened on July 22, 2020, with the implementation of stringent entry protocols including a vaccination requirement, the government’s vision was on ensuring the safety of visitors and locals while continuing to attract a high-income, luxury niche market rather than a high-volume mass market.
“Tourism is our main economic driver and as such, it was imperative that we got the sector up and running as early as possible but in a carefully managed and strategic way, said Minister of Tourism, Josephine Connolly.
“The establishment of Experience Turks and Caicos in 2023, took a more intentional approach to managing the tourism sector around three pillars: Inclusive Growth, which speaks to all citizens and residents benefitting from the tourism industry, Sustainability, which assures the protection of our natural assets, and Competitiveness, which speaks to collaboration across sectors to ensure the destination remains a premier location for its multigenerational, affluent, luxury market,” she added.
Today, with visitor arrivals over double pre-pandemic levels, the Turks and Caicos Islands is focused on managing the influx of visitors with the strategic development of the destination through the Tourism Carrying Capacity Study.
The Turks and Caicos Islands is the first Caribbean country to implement the study, which aims to guide the Government’s policies for the sustainable development of the tourism industry through the analysis of the environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts of the sector.
In other news
Canadian-owned Wymara Resort + Villas in Turks & Caicos on Grace Bay Beach was recently awarded Four Stars by the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide. The intimate 91-room property is one of only three hotels in Turks & Caicos to earn the accolade, which is the highest designation on the island. It is one of only two hotels in the entire Caribbean region to newly join Forbes’ ranks as a four-star property this year.