TThe Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Association said 2021 had been one of the most successful years on record, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Year-end figures from the Tourism Bureau showed that the country recorded 439,372 overnight arrivals between January and December 2021.
While these numbers were commendable under the prevailing circumstances, they still did not surpass 2019 with a record-breaking 486,739 overnight visitors, or 2016 with 448,960 overnight visitors, or 2018 with 441,344 long-stay visitors.
The final quarter of the year, from September to December 2021, saw an average increase in arrival numbers of approximately 122,289 for 2021 versus 116,338, an increase from 2019 numbers over the same period. These preliminary figures reflect the continued advertising and promotional initiatives conducted in collaboration with our wholesale partners, travel consultants, hotel partners and airlines.
According to the bureau, the 2021 performance is not only due to the destination opening for business from July 2019, but also because the bureau continues to market the country as safe for travellers.
“The record number of traveler arrivals, promotional placements, events and activities, awards associated with our partner collaboration is indicative of the work the Tourist Board has built and will continue to build on,” said Pamela Ewing, Director of Tourism. “We have been steadfast, argumentative and consistent during these difficult times. We are aware of the needs of the traveling public and strive to not only educate them about our destination, but also to keep them up to date on the various protocols related to immigration and security. 2021 has indeed been an excellent year for us and we hope 2022 will be an even better year as we work to not only increase our arrivals but also improve our product offering.”
According to a press release, the board was instrumental in the incorporation of two new airlines: Frontier Airlines of Orlando, Fla. and Sun Country Airlines of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is in addition to helping negotiate the return of Southwest Airlines from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Added to this was the resumption of flight operations from Toronto with Air Canada and British Airways (BA) from London Heathrow. The Tourist Board has also had marketing partnerships with BA and Air Canada, offering travelers in the UK, EU and Canada the opportunity to discover, book and fly to TCI!
The Executive Board organized information and press trips from the US and UK markets. These trips introduced the country and provided the partners with in-depth knowledge of the destination and our various product offerings in order to promote TCI to their customers and in their publications.
Last year marked record tourism to the Turks and Caicos, along with record promotion for the destination in the United States, our leading market generator. The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Association developed and implemented various multi-faceted PR plans and strategies to build the islands’ credentials as a premier luxury vacation destination with affordable options and offerings for all. The Tourist Board was aggressive with advertising, resulting in notable placements in the UK magazines: Travel & Leisure, Food & Travel, Conde Nast Traveler and Travel Weekly Magazine; 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.
The Tourism Board has exhibited at trade shows and road shows in the United States, Great Britain and France. The showcases focused on luxury, cruising, diving and water sports, weddings, honeymoons, adventure and eco travel.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Board received several awards this year from the Caribbean Journal, most notably: Providenciales was named the best island in the Caribbean to visit in 2022; luxury destination of the year; Winner of New Hotel of the Year from The Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos; and Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year.