According to the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the tourism sector continues to rebound as the Beautiful By Nature Islands once again breaks visitor arrival records, with over 138,700 air arrivals and 173,151 cruise arrivals in the first quarter of 2022.
Mary Lightbourne, Director of Tourism (Acting), Turks and Caicos Tourist Board declared that the tourism industry is poised for a full recovery. She stated that the first quarter of 2022 has been particularly strong in context to the destination revitalizing from the decline dealt to the sector by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years.
Miss Lightbourne said that the Tourist Board is indeed buoyed by these figures, in particular the month of March, which is critical to the sector. She went on to say that the first quarter, especially March, is traditionally excellent for winter vacationers, having seen a robust in visitor arrivals, almost paralleling the corresponding month in 2019, which saw the best pre-COVID arrivals for the sector.
For the air arrivals specifically, the Board stated that the TCI saw an average increase of approximately 33% in stopover arrivals through the Providenciales International Airport and FBOs, growing from the 34,057 stopover arrivals in January 2022 to 44,596 stopover arrivals in February 2022, and 60,109 in March 2022.
The stopovers received in February 2022 was a significant increase of 248% year over year, according to the Board. As the destination received only 12,798 stopover arrivals in February 2021; a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to contain its diffusion.
The Tourist Board also emphasized that the U.S. market continues to dominate as the main source market claiming the majority of total visitor arrivals, January through March 2022.
Speaking specifically to cruise arrivals, the Board mentioned that in December 2021, when the TCI reopened its cruise sector, there was total of 25,573 arrivals during that month, which was 21% of arrivals seen in 2019.
They explained that the TCI then received 173,151 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022, which was 62% of the 277,280 cruise arrivals received in the same three months of 2019. January welcomed 27 ships with 43,035 cruise visitors, whereas February received 24 ships and 50,148 cruise visitors, with March welcoming 28 ships and 79,968 cruise visitors.
The US’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its risk advisory for cruise ship travel in March 2022 – indicating that the public health measures in place on cruise ships are effective and will hopefully influence more cruise passengers.
Acting Director Lightbourne added that the arrival figures are indicative that the Turks and Caicos continue to be a much sought-after destination. She said that the TCI is on track to increase arrivals in the coming weeks and months, welcoming all our guests to our Beautiful by Nature isles.
