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TURKS & CAICOS TOURIST BOARD UPDATES ON MARKETING ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

TURKS & CAICOS TOURIST BOARD UPDATES ON MARKETING ACTIVITIES
UNDERTAKEN DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2020

TURKS & CAICOS TOURIST BOARD UPDATES ON MARKETING ACTIVITIES

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands (December 14, 2020) – The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board is pleased to provide an update on its activities in the areas of marketing, public relations, local engagement and education, among other areas for the months of October and November 2020. Since the launch of its new strategic marketing campaign in April 2020, the Tourist Board has worked aggressively in an effort to keep Turks and Caicos Islands in the forefront of the minds of potential visitors.

“The Tourist Board is committed to keeping the public informed of the work we are carrying out to position and promote the destination and to ensure that the tourism industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands rebounds successfully,” said Pamela Ewing, Director of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board. “A key component of our strategy has been a strong public relations focus which has seen the destination benefit from media coverage valued at $106 million as of the end of November. Most notably, in October the destination received the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council. This stamp of approval not only confirms that our safety protocols are effective but also enhanced our capacity to promote the destination as a safe option for visitors.”

The Tourist Board has engaged in a number of initiatives in October and November which
include:

Green Monday Destination Sale

  • The Tourist Board has launched a campaign centered on a destination-wide travel deal in honor of Green Monday, the second largest online shopping day of the year. Green Monday takes place on December 14th, and is expected to generate upwards of $1B in sales for businesses in a single day. Hotels throughout the islands have been invited to participate by offering a minimum 25% savings on stays which will be valid for bookings on one day only (December 14th). This campaign serves to underscore the Turks and Caicos Islands and its many hotel partners as open and provide a sense of urgency to book the one-day only deal at any participating property. The destination-wide travel deal is being publicized in advance of Green Monday via a press release and media outreach, across the Tourist Board’s social media channels, and on a vanity webpage dedicated to campaign, which is on the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board’s website.

Advertising

  • Destination e-newsletter blasts have been completed in partnership with Signature Travel Network which has more than 11,000 travel professionals who serve a select group of discerning travelers.
  • Two full page advertisements in Times of the Islands magazine winter issue promoting the sister islands and informing visitors of all activities available in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
  • Full page editorial in the signature winter issue of The Travel Magazine in the USA.
  • ‘Caribbean Escapes to the Turks & Caicos Islands’ promotion with New York Lifestyle Magazine which includes an exclusive feature with digital and print channels.
  • Banner advertising and e-newsletter with ALG Vacations.
  • Destination wedding advertorial in Destination Bliss Magazine in the USA.
  • Full page advertisement, full page editorial and cover image for winter issue of Horizon
  • Travel Magazine in Canada.
  • Digital billboard commercials in Dundas Square, Canada.

Co-operative Agreements

  • The Tourist Board has signed of joint cooperative agreements with Classic Vacations, American Airlines, Air Canada Vacations and British Airways. This a combination of reduced airline rates and packages to the destination and a package that incentivizes travel agents to sell and book the Turks & Caicos Islands. This is expected to increase visitor arrivals for the peak winter season.

Public Relations

  • In an effort to accelerate promotion of the sister islands, the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board has mandated that every travel writer or journalist visits a sister island during a sponsored press trip. The following press trips were conducted recently to focus on culinary, niche activities and to reflect the current safety aspects of travel to Turks and Caicos:
    • Travel + Leisure travel writer visited in October and stayed in Providenciales, South Caicos and Ambergris Cay.
    • Marie Clare travel writer visited in November and stayed in Providenciales and South Caicos.
    • Social Life Magazine’s editorial director visited in November and stayed is Providenciales, Parrot Cay and Ambergris Cay.
    • Business Insider travel writer and photographer visited in November and stayed in Providenciales, Middle Caicos and Pine Cay.

  • The Turks and Caicos Tourist Board’s blog has been revived and is being updated with a new blog weekly to promote the destination and niche markets while inspiring tourists to visit the sister islands and support local businesses

Local Engagement

  • Launch of the ‘Guest Blogger Program’ which seeks to provide a platform for local writers to receive exposure.
  • Tourism Environmental Awareness Month was observed in November under the theme ‘Rediscover Turks & Caicos’ with the following activities:
    • Virtual tours of Grand Turk, the Junkanoo Museum and Cheshire Hall Plantation.
    • Cooking demonstration featuring culinary ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands and highlighting traditional dishes.
    • Live panel discussion on ‘Back in the day Island Experiences’ which was broadcasted through Facebook.
    • Virtual 2nd annual Tourism Symposium featuring keynote address on ‘Challenges and Opportunities: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic’ delivered by Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). The Symposium also featured a panel discussion featuring local professionals on the topic ‘Community Based Tourism Development: Safeguarding Our Culture’.
    • Community cleanup and drive by giveaways held in Providenciales, Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South Caicos and North Caicos.
    • Video and art competitions based on the theme, the former was open to the general public while the latter was open to primary school students from grades four to six.

Events

  • The Tourist Board hosted its 16th annual Turks and Caicos Conference (TACC). The traditional 3-day conference was held virtually and was attended by eighty (80) of the Turks and Caicos’ top industry partners including wholesalers, airline representatives and hoteliers as well as government and ministry officials including the Premier Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson and Minister of Tourism Hon. Ralph Higgs.
  • The Tourist Board participated in the Adventure Travel Show virtually where our marketing representatives were able to connect directly with over 4,000 travel agents and consumers with an easy-to-use interface.

Filming

The Tourist Board has endorsed the following filming activities in the Turks & Caicos which will bring significant media attention and promotion to the destination:

  • Full Beauty Magazine photo shoot – this is a high fashion magazine photo shoot that will promote the destination in print magazine, websites and via social media.
  • History Channel World War 2 documentary – this will promote the destination as well as educating persons across the US about the Turks & Caicos’ participation in World War 2.
  • The Netflix series Parties in Paradise – this is a reality dating game show that has exposure to over 55 million viewers worldwide and has a combined social media presence of over 300 million followers.

New Flights

  • The destination welcomed the inaugural JetBlue direct flight from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on November 19, 2020.

ENDS

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