Turks & Caicos’ Travel Industry Keeps Rising
Despite challenges, Turks & Caicos’ main economic engine - the tourism sector - continues to perform above expectations.
That is according to Tourism Minister Ralph Higgs who said that while the zika virus is a factor in tourist arrivals it has not affected the performance of the destination.
Speaking at recent Government press conference Higgs said: "Brand Turks and Caicos remains one of the most sought after brands in the region and that is evident by the performance of the destination in the first quarter.
"And I suspect that once we get the first half of the 2017 report it will confirm that Turks and Caicos remains one of the most sought after destinations. Revenue collection from the sector would also support that statement.”
Higgs noted that while there are no new hotel developments, private villas right across the length and breadth of the TCI have performed extremely well.
Last year a major travel alert was issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands and other countries, following an outbreak of the zika virus. Tourists were warned to take precautionary measures when travelling to the Islands.
Minister Higgs pointed out that his ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has been working to convey to the international community that the TCI is zika free.
He said: "We are going to craft the perfect message which we will send out into the market place to reassure them that Turks and Caicos Islands is zika free and in fact the entire region has not been under the leading edge of concerns for the zika virus.”
The Turks and Caicos Islands was dubbed "the fastest growing tourist destination” in the Caribbean in February this year.
This is according to the latest statistical report published by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
According to the CTO, despite political uncertainties, security concerns and economic challenges in the territory’s major source markets, stopovers to the destination grew by a robust 17.5 percent in 2016 totaling 453,612 arrivals when compared to 385,531 arrivals in 2015.
The CTO pointed out that the TCI welcomed and hosted some 1,300,575 tourists to its shores in 2016.
It noted that while the majority of arrivals are cruise-based, 2016 marked an impressive, fifth consecutive year of growth in stopover arrivals.
Further assessment of the 1.3 million arrivals in 2016 shows 453,612 visitors were stopovers and 846,963 arrivals came via cruise.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board underscored that 2016 marked a record setting year for the destination; which saw for the first time some 400,000 stopover arrivals through the TCI’s international airports and fixed based operations.
The release stated: "For a consecutive year, the destination recorded growth in each month of the year and within the overwhelming majority of its major source markets.
"The growth rate ranged from a 27.4 percent increase in stopover arrivals recorded in September to a 7.5 percent increase in December of 2016.”
According to the recently released State of The Industry Report 2016 from the CTO, tourist arrivals among the destinations showed uneven growth.
Of the 28 Caribbean destinations reporting data for varying periods between January and December, the Turks and Caicos Islands’ 17.5 percent increase in stopover arrivals lead the region.
Source: Turks & Caicos Weekly News
