ETC Newsletter Jan/Feb 2025 Issue 5 by MyExperienceTCI

IGEST

EXPERIENCETURKSAND CAICOSWELCOMESNEW MINISTEROFTOURISM

EExperience Turks and Caicos is pleased to welcome the Honourable Zhavargo Jolly as the new Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment for the Turks and CaicosIslands

Hon Jolly was appointed to the Cabinet on February 12th, 2025, following the General Elections on February 7th, in which the ProgressiveNationalParty(PNP)securedadecisivevictory

Aseasonedentrepreneur,financialexpert,anddedicatedpublic servant, Hon Jolly brings a wealth of experience to his ministerial role Before entering politics, he served as the ManagingDirectorofTurksandCaicosIslandsCapital,aprivate investment and lending firm. His background in finance, business strategy, and economic development has equipped him with the expertise to drive sustainable growth in the country’stourismindustry.

Hon. Jolly is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned a degree in Business, and later obtained an MBAfromNYUSternSchoolofBusiness.Hisleadershipskillswere further sharpened through his service in the Turks and Caicos IslandsMarineRegiment,wherehewasawardedtheGovernor’s Awardasthemostoutstandingrecruit.

AdedicatedadvocatefortheeconomicempowermentofTurks and Caicos Islanders, Hon. Jolly is committed to ensuring that the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are the primary beneficiaries of the nation’s thriving tourism industry His vision aligns closely with Experience Turks and Caicos’ pillar of inclusive growth, ensuring that all communities across the islandsshareintheeconomicbenefitsofthesector

Hon Jolly is widely recognised for his entrepreneurial acumen, strategic thinking, and commitment to community-driven development Hisleadershipisexpectedtousherinaneweraof tourism growth, ensuring that the success of the industry translates into tangible benefits for the people of the Turks and CaicosIslands

EXPERIENCETURKSAND CAICOSBOOSTSDESTINATION ATIMM2025

EXPERIENCETURKSANDCAICOSREIGNITES

PRESENCEINCANADA

ExperienceTurksandCaicosrecentlyconcludedastrategicvisit toTorontofromFebruary22ndto26th,markingitsreturntothe Canadian market after a three-year hiatus. Canada remains a keysourcemarketfortheTurksandCaicosIslands,andthisvisit was instrumental in re-establishing connections with travel professionals,media,andadventure-seekingtravelers

ThedelegationwasledbyTrinaAdams,ChiefMarketingOfficer of Experience Turks and Caicos, and included Oshin Whyte, Tourism Statistics Specialist; Jasmine Thomas, Director of the Turks and Caicos National Trust; and Levardo Talbot, local fishing expert and owner of Talbot’s Adventures Fish & Wildlife Experiences

Aspartofitsefforts,ExperienceTurksandCaicosparticipatedin theCanadaOutdoorAdventureShowfromMarch22ndto23rd, engaging with adventure travelers drawn to the growing demand for eco-friendly and outdoor experiences such as kayaking, birdwatching, diving, whale watching, and kiteboarding

The destination’s booth showcased the multi-island experience of Turks and Caicos, while partners such as Dive Provo and BeachesTurksandCaicoswerealsorepresentedattheevent A highlight of the show was the visit from internationally known eco-explorerandTVhostMarioRigby,aTurksandCaicosnative now residing in Toronto. Rigby’s presence at the booth added excitement and authenticity, as he engaged with visitors and sharedhispassionforsustainableadventuretravel

In addition to the show, the delegation held strategic meetings with their newly appointed marketing representatives, VOX International, who will lead marketing efforts for Experience Turks and Caicos in Canada. These discussions focused on targeted campaigns, trade partnerships, and media collaborations to strengthen the destination’s position in the market

To further reinforce its presence, Experience Turks and Caicos hostedanintimatereceptionatMissLikkle’s,aCaribbeanfusion restaurant, bringing together 50 travel professionals and travel media representatives The event provided an opportunity to introduce Experience Turks and Caicos, share destination updates,andreconnectwithkeyindustryplayers

Also in attendance were two hotel partners, Turks and Caicos Collection and Beaches Turks and Caicos. The reception was met with enthusiasm, underscoring the excitement of having TurksandCaicosbackintheCanadianmarket

EXPERIENCETURKSANDCAICOSBOOSTS DESTINATIONATIMM2025

ExperienceTurksandCaicosshowcasedtheunparalleledbeauty and tourism offerings of the Turks and Caicos Islands to travel writersandcontentcreatorsfromtheUnitedKingdomandEurope attheInternationalMediaMarketplace(IMM)inLondon

The event, held at the QEII Convention Centre from February 17th to 18th, 2025, is the premier networking event for public relations professionals, media, and content creators in the travel and tourismindustry.

As the sole Caribbean destination among the exhibitors, ExperienceTurksandCaicosstoodout,attractingattentionwitha backdrop depicting the beauty of this multi-island destination. PublicRelationsManagerLauraDowrichandAliqueHarvey,Public Relations Officer in the Department of Tourism Regulations, led thecharge,meetingwithover30journalistsandcontentcreators Among the notable outlets represented were The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, National Geographic Traveller, ORIGIN Magazine, CNN Travel, the Associated Press, JRNY Travel Magazine,Bloomberg,theCuriousPixie,Food,Drink,Life,theLuxury Channel,andLuxuryLifestyleMagazine.

As we seek to enhance our presence in the UK market, these interactionswithkeymediaoutletsareimportanttoadvanceour mission to ensure the Turks and Caicos Islands garner valuable real estate across the luxury travel media, in print and digitally. This will serve to strengthen our brand reputation as the leading premierclassdestinationintheCaribbean

The Turks and Caicos Islands is once again nominated for several categories in the World TourismAwards

For2025,theTurksandCaicosIslandsisnominatedinthefollowingcategories:

·Caribbean'sLeadingBeachDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingCruiseDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingDiveDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingFamilyTravelDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingHoneymoonDestination2025

Caribbean'sLeadingLuxuryIslandDestination2025

·Caribbean'sLeadingTouristBoard2025

·Caribbean'sMostRomanticDestination2025

Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers. Voting is now openandendsonJune22nd.

NewAppointments

Liam Missick, Digital Marketing Specialist

AWARDS&RECOGNITIONS

Congratulationstothefollowingfortheirawards andrecognitions

Wymara Resort + Villas, a sustainable beach resort for sophisticated travelers, has been recognisedinU.S.News&WorldReport’s2025 BestHotelsRankings,earningagoldbadgein the 2025 Best Hotels in the Caribbean category. The resort is ranked No. 2 in Turks and Caicos, underscoring its commitment to unparalleled hospitality, service, and the guestexperience.

ThePalmsforbeingawardedtheUltimateJet Vacations“UltimateHotel”award.

BAMBARRABEACHIS#1

LocatedinMiddleCaicos, Bambarra beachwas adjudgedthe#1Beachinthe CaribbeaninUSAToday’s 10BestReaders’ChoiceAwards 2025.Theworld-famousGrace BayBeachinProvidenciales wasvotedthe#10BestBeach.

Karen Whitt, Vice President of Sales + Marketing and Brand Development, of The Hartling Group. holds the Ultimate Hotel Award given to The Palms

COMMUNITYUPDATES

COMMUNITYCONNECTMEETINGSRESUME

BuildingontheCommunityConnectMeetingsheldin2024, ExperienceTurksandCaicoshasresumedmeetingswithkey stakeholdersthisyear

InFebruary,wemetwiththeTurksandCaicosIslandsHotel andTourismAssociation(TCHTA)foroursecondstakeholder meetingwiththeirmembership Atthatmeeting,ledby PermanentSecretaryintheMinistryofTourism,Mr Wesley Clerveaux,wedeliveredarecapofactivitiesin2024inthe areasofMarketing,PublicRelationsandDestination Developmentaswellasplansforthenewfiscal

CommunityConnectmeetingswillcontinueinthecoming monthswithstakeholderssuchastaxidrivers,watersport operators,diveoperators,businessassociationsandin communitiessuchasWheeland,SouthCaicos,GrandTurk andSaltCaytonameafew

ETCTOURSKIMCHAVILLAGEBIRDSANCTUARY

PublicRelationsManager,LauraDowrichand StatisticsOshinWhytevisitedtheKimcha VillageBirdSanctuaryinJanuarytowitness firsthandtheworkthatownersCharmaine ElliottandherbusinesspartnerKemmit Harveyhavebeendoingtoprotectthecoast andthemarinelife

Oneoftheirmajorprojectshasbeenthe reclamationofthecoastlineofthesanctuary Usingsargassumandsand,theyhave reclaimedthecoastline,whichhasreduced floodingintheneighbouringcommunities.

TheSanctuary,whereavidbirdwatcherscan gotoseemanyvarietyofbirds,isalsoa placewhereyoucanseegreenturtlesvery closetotheshore.Whilethere,wespotted around14turtlesinthewater.TheKImcha VillageBirdSanctuaryoffersglamping opportunitiesforvisitorsaswellasdelicious food,smokedintheopenairkitchen.Tolearn morevisitthemonFacebookoremail: Facebookorkimchavillage@gmail.com

ETCStaffPrepareHJRobinsonHigh SchoolStudentsFortheWorldofWork

The staff of Experience Turks and Caicos played a crucial role in the preparation of the graduating class of the HJ Robinson High School in Grand Turk fortheworldofwork

Strategic Development Manager, Mr Courtney Robinson, and Senior Product Development Officer Mr Alverson Lewis conducted exit interviews for the Form Five students and assessed them for their readiness for the workplace. They reviewed resumes and the students’ skills and offered critical feedbacktopreparethemfortheworkplace.

We wish the students the best as they move on in theirnewjourney.

ETCandWymaraHostsVisitingUK

Journalists

Experience Turks and Caicos, in partnership with Wymara Resort and Villas, hosted seven journalists fromtheUnitedKingdominJanuary.

During the week they were in the destination, they visited North and Middle Caicos, did a boat tour and learned about the culture and history of the country fromculturalhistorianDavidBowen.

PARTNERUPDATES

THEPALMSCELEBRATE20THANNIVERSARY

hePalmsTurksandCaicosResortmarkedasignificantmilestoneinitshistoryasitcelebratedits 20thanniversaryonMarch5,2025 TheeventtookplaceattheprestigiousMesselBallroomwithin theresort

The anniversary celebration offered the resort an opportunity to reflect on its legacy, express gratitudetoitsdedicatedemployees,andlookforwardtofutureachievements

As part of the celebrations, the resort honoured employees who have shown exceptional loyalty andserviceoverthepast15to20years.Theselong-servingteammembershaveplayedacrucial role in the success of the resort and were recognised for their dedication to creating world-class guestexperiences.

PARTNERUPDATES

WYMARAVILLAS UNVEILAZUREVILLA

BEACHESREVEALNEW TREASUREBEACHVILLAGE

Wymara Villas + Beach Club, has announced the launch of its newest and most expansive villa offering to-date: the six-bedroom Azure Villa.

Officially available for bookings starting June 1st,2025,thisbreathtakingretreatisdesigned to elevate the luxury villa experience with unmatched elegance, modern sophistication, andseamlessindoor-outdoorliving

Spanning an impressive 6,010 square feet of interiorspaceandexpandingtonearly10,000 square feet when including the generous outdoorlivingareas,theAzureVillaembodies theultimateislandsanctuary

The new Azure Villa is the first of three sixbedroom villas to soon be ready to welcome guests

Beaches Resorts has revealed details about an exciting expansion with the addition of the new Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort Now accepting reservations, clients can choose from 101 stunning multi-bedroom concierge and butler suites including two, three and fourbedroomluxuryaccommodation.

The $150 million dollar expansion will elevate the allinclusiveresort’soverallroomcountto858andmarks the sixth village addition to the Beaches Turks and Caicosproperty.

Treasure Beach Village will feature several different room categories of suites and villas designed for elevated comfort and style, with families and large groupsinmind

FROMOURSOURCE MARKETS

Experience Turks and Caicos, in collaboration with our overseas PR reps, have been working hard to highlight the Turks and Caicos brand internationally Thanks to our US PR agency, J Wade, we landed 90 placements in US travel publications and websites in 2024 So far, in 2025, we are on track to surpass that in the US and other source markets with the year opening with numerous features in print, television and digital platforms for our destination. Below is a snapshot of those storiesinwhichthedestinationwasfeaturedinJanuaryandFebruary.