PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands – The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has shown it was a preferred luxury lifestyle destination for 2023, with more than 1.5 million air and cruise visitors.
Tourism Minister Josephine ConnollyIt said air arrivals increased to 662,707, representing a 21.62 percent increase over 2019 figures and 6.56 percent in 2022 Last year’s arrival figures showed an impressive increase of 52.38 percent.
The TCI said that cruise tourism registered growth last year with 924,250 guests arriving at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre, representing a 25.84 percent increase over 2022.
Tourism Minister Josephine Connolly said while cruise visitors for 2023 were below 2019 cruise visitor arrivals by 16.85 percent, she remains optimistic that the situation will change given the ongoing momentum in cruise tourism visitors for 2024.
“Our primary objective is to increase visitation from the affluent, luxury lifestyle, multi-generational market to increase spend throughout all our islands and enhance the lives of our citizens across the entire archipelago.
“Experience Turks and Caicos, established on July 1, 2023, was built upon three pillars, namely inclusive growth, sustainability and competitiveness, designed to achieve those objectives.”
Connolly said inclusive growth refers to the diversification of the tourism product to embrace the sister islands thereby ensuring that the local population benefits from the tourism industry.
She said through Sustainability, the organisation will promote tourism development that is socially, economically, environmentally, and culturally sustainable in the long term, adding “competitiveness speaks to the enhancement of our tourism product to ensure we maintain our competitive capacity in a highly dynamic industry”.
The TCI says it offers many sights and experiences beyond Providenciales, including diving off the third largest barrier reef in Grand Turk, scenic secluded white sand beaches and picturesque natural formations such as the Indian Caves in North Caicos.
It said that the increased awareness of the natural assets and beauty of Turks and Caicos is demonstrated in the number of leading travel and tourism awards for 2023 including being recognised as the Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination and Most Romantic Destination at the 2023 World Travel Awards.
The TCi said that with new Virgin Atlantic nonstop flights from London, the December launch of Silver Airways from Fort Lauderdale, and the January launch of Delta Airways from Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the Turks and Caicos Islands is providing additional ease and flexibility from the United Kingdom and the United States.
