For a second year, the Turks and Caicos Islands were a favoured Caribbean destination, showing a 12-percent increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2009.

Most of the growth came in the first quarter of 2010, which showed a significant increase over the same period in 2009. Things slowed down in the second half of 2010, but the year ended with an overall double digit increase. The major source markets for the destination continue to be the United States, Canada and Europe.

This bodes well for the TCI when compared to similar Caribbean destinations like Bermuda, which only showed a 2.6-percent increase, and Cayman, with a 6-percent increase in 2010.

The numbers, released  by the Tourist Board on March 5, are being supported by the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, which have both confirmed those statistical findings.

The Tourist Board is looking forward to a bright 2011, when it expects the county to surpass the 1 million mark for tourist arrivals for both long stay and cruise passengers. The board, with information from private sector partners and wholesalers, has stated that bookings are up between 30-50 percent in comparison to last year.

This will be made possible in part due to new airlift which began last month with inaugural flight for JetBlue from New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS), and with Continental Airlines (EWR).

The Grand Turk Cruise Center has also seen a steady increase in visitors, including those aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the world’s largest luxury cruise lines, that called upon the cruise center in December.

The board continues with a limited budget to promote the TCI. During 2010 it represented the country at a number of travel, trade and consumer shows. Additionally, it has sponsored and embraced a number of promotional events in the United States, Canada and Europe, working alongside wholesalers and local hotels.

Next week, together with the Statistical Office of the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) , the board will be conducting a Survey of Departing Visitors at the Providenciales International Airport. The Survey is scheduled to last for a period of seven days and will capture a broad cross-section of visitors.

The goal is for both agencies to gather statistics on expenditures, characteristics of visits and visitors’ opinions. DEPS and the board are planning to conduct this survey on a quarterly basis.

The board continues to operate with an unclear future. A Tourism Working Group appointed by the governor suggested in July that the board be replaced by a Tourism Authority controlled by a board of eight private businessmen and four ex-officio members from government.

The governor said recently that discussions are still underway concerning funding for the board and the new authority.

The working group had recommended splitting the current 11 percent accommodations tax so that the new authority would get 2 percent for operations and the government would get 9 percent.

The current Tourist Board would then be renamed the Tourism Regulatory Board or absorbed into the Tourism Ministry.

####

Thursday, 10 March 2011 12:52

Written by fp Turks & Caicos staff