HOW TO SELL TURKS & CAICOS
TURKS & CAICOS Tempting
BY JANE ANDERSON Located 550 miles southeast of Miami,
just below the Islands of the Bahamas chain, just eight islands of the 40 islands and cays that make up the Turks and Caicos are inhabited. There’s no doubt that this Caribbean destination has some of the best beaches in the world. It is also surrounded by the world’s third-largest coral reef and is a hot spot for scuba divers. The islands’ network of national parks has ensured that there are over 30 protected areas with fabulous flora and fauna and bird watching. As Ralph Higgs, director of tourism,
Turks & Caicos Islands says: “We’re the last of the true exotics. By and large the islands are not commercialised and because a number of our islands are close together they are easy to explore.” The most developed island is
Providenciales (Provo), best known for its 12-mile long Grace Bay Beach, voted Best Beach in the World in the Trip Advisor’s Traveler Choice Awards 2011. It is also home to an 18-hole golf course, a conch farm, historic tours, horse riding, shopping, over 80 restaurants and a good choice of four- and five-star hotels, along with extensive watersports. The private island resort of Parrot
Cay is a hit with honeymooners, celebrities and those who crave an exclusive getaway at Parrot Cay Resort – Donna Karan, Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts all own villas there. Pine Cay is a private island-cum-
nature reserve between Provo and Parrot Cay, home to the Meridian Club, a small beach-front resort and very little else. The only mode of transport is bicycle or golf cart and you may as well leave your mobile at home. North Caicos is the lushest of all the islands, a birdwatchers’ paradise and home to the new Readymoney Gardens, whilst Middle Caicos is the largest of all the islands and features large caves with impressive stalactites and stalagmites, along with resident bats. All these islands belong to the ‘Caicos’, whilst the easterly ‘Turks’ lie across the deep Columbus Passage, where it’s possible to see migrating whales from January to April. Grand Turk is the capital and its quaint little town has retained much colonial
30 February 2012 •
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charm. Attractions include the TCI National Museum and the Grand Turk Lighthouse, though most visitors come for the diving, staying in boutique hotels and B&Bs. Nearby is Salt Cay, once the home of the Bermudian salt industry. It's a place to recommend for a feel of the old Caribbean and has charming B&Bs. Turks & Caicos are perfect for island hopping and also for two-centre holidays twinned with Miami, New York or Boston, which all have excellent flight connections with the islands. Although UK tour operators mainly
feature the high-end resorts like Grace Bay Club, Amanyara and the Regent Palms on Provo and iconic private island options such as Parrot Cay, there are all-inclusive choices such as Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa and Veranda Resort & Residences managed by Grace Bay Resorts, which opened in January 2010, plus a variety of villas, condos and B&Bs.
What’s New There’s a new way of exploring the ocean beneath the Turks and Caicos which doesn’t require scuba diving skills. Snuba TCI offers families the chance to
TURKS & CAICOS Top Selling Tips...
• Easy two-centre getaway… “Turks and Caicos makes a great two-centre option with New York, which is just a three- hour flight away and served by connections with American, Continental and Jet Blue.” RALPH HIGGS, director of tourism Turks & Caicos Islands
• Make it affordable... “We offer The Veranda. Sister property to Grace Bay Club, it has the same standards of sophisticated luxury but is a fully inclusive resort, making it fantastic luxury for less.” JoANNE SMETHURST Head of product, Caribtours
• Great for families... “Turks and Caicos has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Beaches Turks and Caicos is perfect for families.” SARAH JACKSON, Kuoni
go underwater with a tank floating on a raft at the surface of the water. The Havana Club, the islands’ first comedy club, has opened at the Windsong Resort on Grace Bay Beach. Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa, Provo’s all-inclusive family resort right on Grace Bay Beach, is upgrading the soft furnishing to many of its rooms and suites. By the end of the year all rooms will feature a personal Xbox®
360 game console. Work on the Ritz Carlton Resort
on West Caicos is suspended. There are plans for two new hotel projects on Provo and one on North Caicos. The international airport on Provo completed a runway extension for transatlantic jets last year and a new terminal building will open this summer.
Tourism Talk TRACY KNIGHT
European Marketing Executive, Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board
Clockwise from left: Turks & Caicos has a good mix of accommodation including Parrot Cay, Bluehills and the Amanyara
©PARROT CAY
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