BY: BOB MOWAT
“What makes us really unique… is that we have a blend of different offerings. It’s a blend of luxury, unspoiled nature as well as world-class experiences.”
–Experience Turks & Caicos’ Chief Marketing Officer, Trina Adams
There’s no doubt that Canadians are drawn to Turks & Caicos for its sun, sand and sea, but Experience Turks & Caicos’ Chief Marketing Officer, Trina Adams wants to let those Canadians know that its 40 islands and cays can also offer them some intriguing, additional options.
In fact, Adams and her team were in Toronto in late February to spread the word, participating in the Outdoor Adventure Show, and telling those attending that event about some of the other options that Turks & Caicos has on offer for its Canadian visitors.
“Eco-tourism and adventure is a new niche market for us and we definitely wanted to just come and speak to people at that event [the Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto] to highlight the offerings that we have outside of sun, sea and sand,” Adams told Canadian Travel Press in an interview during her recent visit.
Eco-tourism and adventure – which includes activities like bird watching, whale watching, hiking, fishing and more – is just one of the many new niches that Experience Turks & Caicos is promoting, with Adams also pointing to Dive, Romance & Weddings, MICE and Culture & Heritage as examples of some of the other niche markets that the destination is active in.
“These are activities that we understand that the Canadian visitor likes and enjoys, so we are working hard to ensure that those niche offerings are available for our Canadian visitors,” Adams told CTP.
And she observed: “What makes us really unique and different is that we have a blend of different offerings. It’s a blend of luxury, unspoiled nature as well as world-class experiences.”
Adams points to award winning beaches, diving, snorkeling, fishing, turtle watching, whale watching, bird watching, vibrant marine life, nature preserves, national parks, championship golf, luxury accommodation and, most notably, its people as reasons for travel advisors to recommend Turks & Caicos to their clients.
In terms of hotel development, there’s lots going on, with Adams pointing to the openings of The Strand and South Bank resorts in late 2024, and the opening of the Salterra Resort & Spa in South Caicos this month.
In the coming years, new properties set to come online include Andaz Turks and Caicos at Grace Bay, The Loren at Turtle Cove, The Point by Grace Bay Resorts, and Kempinski Grace Bay.
Currently, Turks & Caicos has about 4,600 rooms and the new openings will add a further 2,500 rooms over the course of the next number of years.
Existing properties have also been busy upgrading, with Beach Enclave adding 3 new villas called The Reserve at Grace Bay by Beach Enclave; the all-inclusive Alexandra Resort has added 41 oceanfront and Garden Suites and Studios, a redesigned lagoon-style pool and a refreshed lobby and reception area; Ambergris Cay has added Puesta del Sol, a new four-bedroom villa with close proximity to a whale-watching point; and The Palms has a reimagined pool deck with an oceanfront infinity pool, swim up bar and cozy day beds as well as a new oceanfront restaurant called Si Si which fuses traditional and contemporary Mexican flavours.
Experience Turks & Caicos’ CMO also emphasized that “one of our big strategies going forward is promoting Turks & Caicos as a multi-island destination. Most people when they hear Turks & Caicos, they automatically think of Providenciales, so it’s very important for us and our new organization to ensure inclusive growth – so that all of the islands are experiencing the benefits of tourism.”
In fact, when asked what makes Turks & Caicos unique, Adams explains: “We’re a multi-island destination. Each island is so unique that it offers something completely different.”
She explains: “If you’re looking for luxury, you have Providenciales, which focuses on our high-end luxury properties, barefoot luxury. You move from Providenciales to an island like Grand Turk, where you have activities like whale watching and historic sites. If you want something that focuses more on adventure, you move to North and Middle Caicos where you can experience the most amazing hiking trails and birdwatching – we have so many species of birds. And if you move from North and Middle Caicos to South Caicos, if you are a fishing [enthusiasts], you can experience some of the best fishing in the world – bone fishing, fly fishing.”
As for cost, well, Adams is clear: “Our target market is the affluent client – that’s our primary market.”
But, she observes: “Everywhere you go there are deals and there are affordable options,” pointing to the short-term rental market that has made the destination more affordable.
“Even though we are catering to a very high end, luxury audience, we’re finding many people coming to visit Turks & Caicos – and definitely our doors are open to everybody,” Adams told CTP.
And while Canadians tend to visit Turks & Caicos during the winter season, Adams is quick to point out that Canadians can visit the destination year-round, noting that May to October is a particularly good time to visit because rates are a lot lower, there are more deals and a number of local festivals happen during that time of year.
So, what’s the takeaway, well says Adams: “I think overall, we just have that combination of everything. If you’re looking for something, we have something for every visitor.”
Turks & Caicos wants to grow its share of the Canadian market
Turks & Caicos has been a bit quiet in the Canadian market for the last little while, but all that changed in late February as tourism officials from the destination were in Toronto spreading the word that Turks & Caicos was back and it wanted more Canadians to visit.
The destination’s lower profile followed the shuttering of the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board in 2023, a step that led to the creation and launch of Experience Turks & Caicos – a Destination Management & Marketing Organization (DMMO) – that’s been bringing a lot of energy to Turks & Caicos’ tourism marketing efforts.
That energy was apparent during the recent visit, as officials of the new DMMO made it abundantly clear that not only is Canada an important market, it’s one that is going to get a lot of attention.
In fact, Trina Adams, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Experience Turks & Caicos, announced during the Toronto visit that VoX International has been hired to help drive its marketing efforts in Canada.
“We were missing for quite some time so we wanted to come back and sort of reintroduce first of all, Experience Turks & Caicos to the Canadian market and also reestablish our presence within the market and we’ve hired VoX International who will be working closely with us to drive our marketing efforts here.”
After the U.S., Canada is Turks & Caicos second largest market. In 2024, 48,840 Canadians visited the destination, with Adams telling CTP: “The Canadian market continues to be an important segment for us and a lot of our Canadian visitors are repeat. They’re coming back on an annual basis. They love the destination. And they want to continue visiting.”
As for Canadian travel advisors, Adams told CTP that Experience Turks & Caicos has a number of initiatives in the works. That includes a specialist program that’s being developed and which will include training programs that will enhance their knowledge of the destination. That, she said, should be available sometime in 2025.
Educational trips will also be part of what Experience Turks & Caicos will be offering advisors, with Adams observing that “the only way to sell a destination is to experience it firsthand and we’ll definitely provide opportunities for them to come and visit the islands.”
For more information on Turks and Caicos, go to www.turksandcaicostourism.com.
