FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands (January 13th, 2022) – The Turks and Caicos Tourist Board is pleased to announce that 2021 was one of the most successful years on record. This, not only owing to the destination being open for business as of July 2020, but due to the Tourist Board’s continued marketing the country as safe for travellers.
The Board was instrumental in welcoming two new carriers: Frontier Airlines out of Orlando, Florida and Sun Country Airlines from Minneapolis, Minnesota. This, in addition to helping to negotiate the return of Southwest Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. What is more, there was the resumption of service from Toronto with Air Canada and British Airways (BA) from London Heathrow. The Tourist Board also had marketing partnerships with BA and Air Canada, affording travellers in the UK, EU and Canada the opportunity to discover, book and fly to TCI!
The last quarter of the year, September to December 2021, saw an average increase in arrival numbers of approximately 122,289 for 2021, versus 1116,338, an upsurge from 2019 numbers of the same period. These preliminary numbers reflect the continued advertising and promotions initiatives carried out in collaboration with our wholesaler partners, travel advisors, hotel partners and airlines.
The Board organized familiarization and press trips from the US and UK markets. These trips showcased the country, providing partners with in-depth knowledge on the destination and our various product offerings, with the view of promoting the TCI on to their clients and in their publications.
This past year marked record tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands, along with record publicity for the destination across the United States, our leading market generator. The Turks and Caicos Tourism board developed and executed diverse multi-faceted public relations plans and strategies to expand upon the Islands cachet as a world-class luxury vacation destination, having with affordable options and offerings for all.
The Tourism Board has been aggressive with advertisement, that resulted in notable placements in the UK publications: Travel & Leisure, Food & Travel, Conde Nast Traveller and Travel Weekly magazines; and in the US: Travel + Leisure online, Conde Nast Traveler (print and online), Forbes online, USA Today, ELLE online, Harper’s Bazaar online, CNN Travel, CNBC Travel, The Washington Post online, Brides online, PEOPLE Magazine online, MSN, Time Out, Marie Claire online, JustLuxe, Departures, TripSavvy, TravelPulse, Travel Weekly, Caribbean Journal, and The Points Guy, among others.
The Tourism Board exhibited at trade shows and roadshows in the United States, United Kingdom and France. Showcases focused on luxury, cruising, diving and water sports, weddings, honeymoons, adventure and eco travel.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Board is proud to have won multiple awards from Caribbean Journal this year, chiefly: Providenciales being named the Best Island in the Caribbean to Visit in 2022; Luxury Destination of the Year; New Hotel of the Year won by The Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos; and Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year.
“The record number of traveller arrivals, advertisement placement, events and activities, accolades, in conjunction with our partner collaboration, is indicative of the work that the Tourist Board has been building upon and will continue to do,” said Pamela Ewing, Director of Tourism. “We have been steadfast, contentious and consistent in these trying times. We are cognizant of the travelling publics needs, and we strive to inform them not only of our destination, but keep them up-to-date on the various protocols with regard to entry and remaining safe.”
“2021 was indeed a banner year for us, and with hope, 2022 will be an even better year ahead, as we work toward not only increasing our arrival numbers, but bettering the product we have to offer”, added Miss Ewing.
