DESTINATION
BANNERYEAROFGLOBALAWARDSIN2025
The Turks and Caicos Islands is celebrating an exceptional year of international recognition, as the destination earned multiple top-tier awards in 2025 across diving, beach, romance,honeymoon,andoveralldestinationcategories
The accolades, many of which were reader- and travellervoted, reflect the strength of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ tourism product and the effectiveness of sustained public relationsoutreachandmediaengagement
Theawardsspansomeoftheworld’smostrespectedtravel, lifestyle, and industry platforms, reinforcing the destination’s reputation for pristine beaches, world-class marine experiences,romance,andauthenticislandcharm.
Among the standout recognitions were the PADI Scuba Magazine2026Readers’ChoiceAwards,wheretheTurksand Caicos Islands received 11 awards including 2second place forwalldiving
Thedestinationalsosecuredthe#1IslandDestinationtitlein the Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Awards UK, further cementing its global appeal Additional 2025 honours include:
World Travel Awards: Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination 2025 and Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination2025
AirCanadaVacations:BestBeachDestination
TrazeeAwards:FavouriteHoneymoonDestination
USAToday10BestReaders’ChoiceAwards:#1BestBeach –BambarraBeachand#9BestBeach–GraceBay World’s50BestBeaches:GraceBayranked#10
Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards: TaylorBayranked#18
Recommend Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards: Gold –BestDestinationinCaribbean/Bahamas/Bermuda
Experience Turks and Caicos remains committed to strengthening the destination’s global presence through targeted promotion, media engagement, collaboration with content creators locally and from source markets as well as continued collaboration with tourism partners, while ensuring that growth is supported by quality, sustainability, andauthenticexperiencesacrossallislands.
ETCCONDUCTSDESTINATION TRAININGFORJETBLUE VACATIONS
The Turks and Caicos Islands Won Best Beach Vacation in the inaugural Air Canada Vacations Travellers Top Picks Awards
AJOYFULWELCOMEFORMISSTCIUNIVERSE
TheMinistryofTourismandExperienceTurksandCaicosproudlyrolledoutajubilanthomecomingfor MissTCIUniverseBerenieceDickenson,celebratingherremarkablerepresentationoftheislandsonthe MissUniversestage.
MissDickensontoucheddownatHowardHamiltonInternationalAirportonSaturday,November29thto asceneworthyofroyalty ActingPremierandMinisterofInnovation,Hon E JaySaunders,andMinister ofTourism,Hon ZhavargoJolly,wereonhandtogreetherwarmlyassheemergedtoapplause,cheers, andtheunmistakablerhythmoftheWeFunkJunkanooBand Withflowersinhand,courtesyExperience Turks and Caicos, and a radiant smile, Bereniece embraced supporters who lined the arrivals hall, includinganexcitedLittleMissTCI.
Her triumphant return continued with an elegant motorcade through Providenciales Escorted by the RoyalTurksandCaicosIslandsPoliceForceandaccompaniedbyamusictruckcourtesyDoItCentre, MissDickensonwavedtocrowdsfromawhiteRollsRoycebeforearrivingatBusinessSolutions,oneof her steadfast sponsors. There, she was serenaded by saxophonist Mohen Cox (Moements of Sax) and greetedbyscoresofsupporterseagertocongratulateher.
CONT’D
The celebration culminated in an intimate evening reception at Beaches Key West, where government ministers past and present, Members of Parliament, and leaders from the business community gathered to honour her Acting Premier, Hon EJ Saunders and Minister of Tourism, Hon Zhavargo Jolly, delivered brief remarks at both receptions, underscoring the pride the Government and nation felt in Miss Dickenson and pledgingcontinuedsupportforhergoingforward
The Ministry of Tourism and Experience Turks and Caicos, premier sponsors of Miss TCI/Universe, extend heartfelt appreciation to all sponsors, supporters, and citizens who contributed to Miss Dickenson’s unforgettablehomecoming Herjourneycontinuestoinspire,provingthattheTurksandCaicosIslandsshine brightly on the world stage, not just for its beauty, but for its people Thank you to the following for their sponsorship: Business Solutions, Graceway Supermarkets Do It Centre Sean Bassett, Drexler Smith, Wymara ResortandSpa,ConnectMediaGroup,O’BrianandNikkiForbes,UniquePoshEvents,andRentanEventTCI
JETBLUEVACATIONS
As Experience Turks and Caicos continues to engage travel advisors across the United States to drive increased bookings to the destination, the team was pleased to promote the Turks and Caicos Islands at two dedicated jetBlue Vacations training sessions earlier this month.
The destination trainings were held on November 5th in Salt Lake City, Utah, and November 13th at the jetBlue UniversitycampusinOrlando,Florida
Experience Turks and Caicos’ Public Relations Manager, Laura Dowrich, represented the destination alongside hotel partners Seven Stars Resort, Beach Enclave, Royal WestIndies,Beaches,andtheWaterlooCollection
Across both cities, approximately 100 travel advisors and customer service representatives participated in the sessions. Experience Turks and Caicos delivered an overview of the destination, highlighting its multi-island appeal and the diverse experiences available beyond Providenciales from diving, whale watching and bonefishing to pickleball and other niche activities Each training day consisted of three rotating sessions to allow advisorsanengaging,in-depthlearningexperience
DEMA2025REVEALSNEWTRENDSFOR DIVEINDUSTRY
Experience Turks and Caicos proudly participated in the 2025 DEMA Dive Show in Orlando, Florida, held from November11th–14th TheDEMAShow,producedbytheDivingEquipment&MarketingAssociation,istheworld’s leading tradeshow for the dive, ocean water sports, and adventure travel industries, attracting thousands of buyers,suppliers,andinnovatorsfromacrosstheglobe.
RepresentingExperienceTurksandCaicoswereMrs.CandeshaMills,ProductDevelopmentManager,andMr. Courtney Robinson, Strategic Development Manager, who operated from a dedicated booth designed to spotlighttheTurksandCaicosIslandsasoneoftheCaribbean’spremierdivingdestinations.
The exhibit drew robust interest from dive enthusiasts, dive centres, influencers, content creators, travel advisors, dive media and advertising agencies, many eager to learn more about the islands’ world-class underwaterexperiences.
One of the strongest trends identified this year was the rising interest in bundled dive vacation packages. Attendees expressed enthusiasm for curated itineraries that pair diving with accommodation and culturally rich, environmentally conscious activities, such as land tours, culinary experiences, heritage excursions, and eco-adventures. These integrated packages give visitors the opportunity to enjoy exceptional diving while connectingwiththebroaderculturalandnaturalheritageoftheislands
TEAM2025
Tourism and Environmental Month kicked off in November with a refreshed look. A new logo, in the form of a green turtle was created to represent the thrust of the month, which is to promote protection ofourenvironment
The theme for the month was: “Nature’s Passport – Stamp Your Journey,LeaveNoTrace”andwasselectedtoemphasisetheunique natural beauty of the Turks and Caicos Islands while promoting responsible tourism and environmental stewardship. It frames the experience of exploring the islands as a journey through “Nature’s Passport,”whereeachinteractionwiththeenvironmentisastampof discovery yetonethatleavesnolastingimpactorharm
The month’s activities included islands-wide clean ups, a church service in Providenciales, a Career and Entrepreneurship Fair in GrandTurkandamini-expoinNorthandMiddleCaicos.
TEAM2025
AWARDS
The Turks and Caicos Islands’ reputation as a vibrant multi-island destination offering diverse experiences across its archipelago has been further solidified with two nominations in the 2026 USAToday10BestReaders’ChoiceAwards
In the category of Best Caribbean Island to Visit, the Turks and Caicos Islands proudly boast two nominees Grand Turk and Providenciales highlighting the depth and variety of experiences visitorscanenjoywithinonedestination
In its promotion for Grand Turk, USA Today 10Best wrote: “Visitors to Grand Turk can explore the capital city of the Turks & Caicos archipelago, including the homes and businesses of Cockburn Town, which look like they dropped out of the pagesofastorybook.”
For Providenciales, the editors noted: “The most populated island in Turks and Caicos hosts some of the world’s top resort brands from the Aman’s Amanyara to The Ritz-Carlton to ensure you’re lounging in luxury with butler service and beachsidebars”
In addition to Grand Turk and Providenciales, the Turks and Caicos Islands is also featured in other categoriesinthisyear’sawards.Theyare:
Best Caribbean All Inclusive Resort: Ambergris CayPrivateIslandresort
Best Caribbean Resort: The Palms and The SandsatGraceBay
·BestCaribbeanBeachBar:DaConchShack
·Best Caribbean Golf Course: The Royal Turks andCaicosGolfClub
BestCaribbeanRum:BambarraRum
COMMUNITYUPDATES
MINISTRYOFTOURISMANDEXPERIENCETURKS ANDCAICOSMEETWITHFISHFRYVENDORS
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly along with Experience Turks and Caicos
Interim CEO Consultant, Mr Paul Pennicook and Product Development Manager Candesha Mills, met with Fish Fry Vendors to discuss plans to improve the Fish Fry experienceandstreamlineoperations.
Minister Jolly urged the vendors to formalise the Fish Fry Association with a board to empower them to run the Fish Fry inamoreefficientmanner.Healsospokeof plans to create a more permanent home for the Fish Fry and to accommodate the longlistofvendorsonthewaitinglist
FARRAHGRANTWINSMISSINTERNATIONAL
AMERICASTITLE
Experience Turks and Caicos is pleased to have supported Farrah Grant in her quest to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands at the Miss International Pageant
Miss Grant was successful in her mission, winning the Miss International Americas title for the first time for the Turks and Caicos Islands
Miss Grant was welcomed home with a Junkanoo fanfare at the Howard Hamilton Airport and was greeted by First Lady Delthia Misick along with school children
PARTNERUPDATES
KEMPINSKIBREAKSGROUNDINGRACEBAY
Kempinski Grace Bay, a collection of luxury residences and beachfront villas on the worldrenowned Grace Bay Beach, broke ground in mid-November, marking the arrival of Kempinski Hotels,Europe'soldestandmoststoriedluxuryhotelbrand,totheTurksandCaicosIslands
Developed by JTRE, an award-winning global real estate firm renowned for creating exceptional properties across Europe and beyond, the resort will be the first in the Turks and Caicos Islands managed by Kempinski Hotels, Europe's oldest luxury hotel group behind more than 75 luxury propertiesworldwide
Setacrosselevenacresofuntouchedbeachfront,KempinskiGraceBaywillfeaturejust119private residences and four oceanfront villas purposefully designed for privacy, tranquility, and enduring valueinararelow-densitysetting,soughtbytoday'smostdiscerninginvestors.
ETCDELIVERSINDUSTRYINSIGHTS
The Marketing Intelligence Unit of Experience Turks and Caicos held a Stakeholder’s Insights meeting on November 18 , 2025 to give insights into the destination’s performance as well as trends in the US and Canada markets th
The virtual meeting featured presentations from Mr Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos, Mr Zeek Coleman, Vice President, Americas at Tourism Economics; an Oxford Economics company dedicated to understanding the relationship between travel and the economy and Stan Ivankovic, Vice President of Business Development and Consulting at Environics Analytics, helps Travel and Tourism better understand their visitors and source markets using data and software engagements to meet the needs of each client
A Stakeholder’s Toolkit was provided following the meeting. Please click on the photo to download the document
PRWINSFOR2025
As Experience Turks and Caicos continued to push the Turks and Caicos brand in our source markets,wearepleasedtorecapoursuccessesintheUSmarket ThankstopitchingviaourUSPR Agency J Wade and the hosting of several media FAMS, we secured 107 placements in travel publications,bothconsumerandtrade,with805.9milliongrossimpressions,$79.3millioninmedia value, and an impressive ROI of 1,320 to 1 Below is a recap of the publications that featured TCI in 2025
DESTINATIONINSIGHTS
STAYOVERARRIVALSINCREASEINDECEMBER
PreliminarydatasuggeststhatstayoverarrivalsforthemonthofDecemberwas64,493; fourpercenthigherthanDecemberlastyear
The increased airlift and additional rooms are believed to have contributed to this growth. Preliminary visitor arrival numbers total 637,076 which is 99 percent of the numberrecordedforthesameperiodof2024
The preliminary count of cruise passenger arrivals for the month of December 2025 was 129,346;a22percentincreaseoverlastDecember
Thisgrowthfollowstheberthingof11additionalcallsinGrandTurkthismonth Thecruise sector continues to outperform the same period last year, as the 13 million total cruise arrivalsrecorded,marksafivepercentYear-on-Yearincrease.
CONTACTUS
ExperienceTurksandCaicos
TheRegentVillage Number3,GraceBayRoad Providenciales,TurksandCaicosIslands TKCA1ZZ
ForGeneralQueriescontact: Mr.PaulPennicook,InterimCEOConsultant
Email: ppennicook@myexperiencetci.com
ForMediaQueriescontact: PublicRelationsManager Ms LauraDowrich
Email: ldowrich@myexperiencetci.com Phone:(649)-341-4071
Website:visitturksandcaicos.com