Newly launched destination marketing and management organization replaces tourist board
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Out with the old and in with the new.
Turks and Caicos has replaced its existing tourist board with Experience Turks and Caicos, a newly launched partnership between the public and private sectors.
“What we decided to do to maintain sustainability is to introduce a destination marketing and management organization. What we want is an amicable relationship with all our stakeholders,” explains Minister of Tourism Josephine Connolly. “We want to include every body, we want every body to have a seat at the table, including the taxi drivers, the vendors.”
In terms of improvements, she says a new $300-million airport is coming to Providenciales.
“That will be a state-of-the-art airport for Turks and Caicos,” she adds.
With 90% of its GDP is derived from tourism, she says tourism is integral to the destination.
“It’s all about sand, sea and sun but we have to be able to provide special experiences for people when they come to Turks and Caicos.”
Meanwhile, Stacy Cox, CEO of the Turks and Caicos Hotel Association, noted that “we are in a huge transition in our tourism product in the Turks and Caicos islands. Transitioning from a tourist board to a destination management company, the ability to manage this thing called tourism in a professional partnership way.”
From the upcoming ground breaking of the new terminal to record breaking numbers in the destination and the new DMO, she says, “we’re on the cusp of amazing things in Turks and Caicos.
