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Press Release: Turks & Caicos Tourist Board
November 29, 2004
TURKS & CAICOS -- Visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands will be able to enjoy more variety, more luxury
and even more flight choice than ever thanks to investment of over a billion in tourism from airlines, resident
hotels, water sports operations, spas, and property developers as well as from key tourism players including Aman
Resorts who will be constructing their first ever Caribbean resort in the TCI and Carnival Cruise lines.
According to Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism and Development, Hon. Dr. Michael Misick “the small and large
scale investment by airlines, property owners, developers, private businesses, investors and Government is ensuring
that the Turks and Caicos Islands can maintain and enhance its position as a high end destination, offering quality
without compromising our beautiful by nature environment. The Aman Resort in particular will reinforce the Turks
and Caicos Islands reputation as the leading luxury resort destination in the Caribbean.”
Major Tourism Developments
The destination has enjoyed an increase in airlift on an unprecedented scale since 2003 and now boasts non-stop
flights from Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, New York, Charlotte and Miami.
Capital Island of the Turks and Caicos, Grand Turk is attracting much interest and investment since the construction
of the new International JAGS McCartney airport. The state of the art facility was constructed to encourage hotel
group investors to consider developing accommodation on the island. Negotiations have already begun with some international
boutique hotel developers and development agreements are also in place for a condominium resort “Cacique Beach
Club” which will include 72 luxury suites on Grand Turk and will double the existing room quota.
Over $50 million is being invested in Grand Turk by Carnival Cruise Lines to build a Cruise ship terminal on the
Southern end of the capital island. The project is set to attract approximately 350,000 passengers annually to
the historic island and is being regarded as a catalyst for revitalization of Grand Turk.
The new Pillory Beach Resort on Grand Turk has opened after extensive refurbishment and features elegant apartments
overlooking Pillory Beach, wooden decking, a pool, bar and restaurant.
According to Chairman of the Tourism Board, Albert (Butch) Clare: “Renovations and new developments on Providenciales
have highlighted the strength of the TCI’s tourism economy on an unprecedented scale.”
The first Aman Resort to be built in the Caribbean will be the Amanyara and it will be built in Providenciales,
in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The $25 million resort planned for North West point, Providenciales will comprise
40 luxury suites, a recording studio and 34 villas. The funding partnership behind the development includes New
York private investors Mortimer Sackler and John Hunt and Nile Rodgers of Chic. Rodgers who is famous for producing
records by Madonna, Diana Ross and David Bowie is hoping that the resort and top of the line recording studio will
attract many artists who want the luxury of recording in beautiful surroundings.
The five star Grace Bay Club has committed over $15 million on an extension of the property to include a further
38 suites and 4 new buildings, two of which are nearly complete. The extension which is scheduled for completion
in Winter 2004/5 replaces the current Serenity spa location with a new spa with 5 treatment rooms and includes
a fitness facility, a new dramatic on-the-beach swimming pool and a second restaurant. In addition the Grace Bay
hotel has refurbished the lobby and reception areas; freshened all rooms with new color schemes as well as updated
amenities including Egyptian cotton linens, featherbeds, DVD players, flat screen TVs, CD players, and new Aveda
toiletries. The acclaimed Anacaona restaurant has renovated its decor, menus, dishes and flatware, glassware and
updated the food and beverage menus to include new culinary delights. In addition the Lounge at Grace Bay Club
(on the beach) has been built and features a tapas menu, exciting martini menu, and New World music.
Coral Gardens is investing just under $5million in enhancements including the construction of a 24 room extension
using the old Bermudan architecture of the Islands, a fitness facility and meeting suite. New services have been
introduced to the resort including complimentary wireless internet access and terminal, cold towel service on the
beach, Classic Mercedes VIP pick up and tour service, complimentary CD and DVD service, grocery shopping service
and a new Gourmet Tide Dinner service on the beach for couples wishing to dine under the stars and enjoy traditional
cuisine with a gourmet twist. Manager Andre Neiderhauser describes the dining experience as "combining the
easy and serene atmosphere of having dinner with your feet in the sand and the sound of the ocean beside you, with
ingredients and cooking methods of the past delivered in a modern style." Culinary delights include Middle
Caicos Air Dried Conch on Homemade Grits Cake and a spicy Papaya Coulis
Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, one of Sandal’s best family all-inclusives, has committed $30 million
to an expansion of the resort under an Italian Village theme. The expansion will add a further 100 rooms. Club
Med Turkoise in Providenciales is also spending $15 million on refurbishment of the popular resort. Palms Grand
Resort and Spa is nearing completion, the 72 condominium units are all already sold out in this new resort, which
is owned and managed by Sands Resort Developers the Hartling Group. Three new condominium resorts called Tuscany,
the Regency Grand and the $60 million condominium project Verandah are also being developed and will offer more
premium quality accommodation in the near future.
Several other development agreements have been signed including Sodalco Limited, a company that will be spending
over $150 million in constructing a brand new condo hotel on the site of the former Allegro Hotel. A major $200
million development has also been signed for Water Cay, one of the uninhabited islands. This private island resort
complements other projects under development on the uninhabited islands of West Caicos and Ambergris Cay and the
well established and highly successful private island resorts on Pine Cay and Parrot Cay.
Product Development
Spa Tropique in the Turks and Caicos Islands has developed a reputation for incorporating local ingredients into
its extensive range of treatments. The spa has enjoyed so much success that it has developed a new line of “Body
Tropique” products. The Turks Island Salt Glow is a body-exfoliating product using the salt from the Salt Cay ponds
blended and ground with mineral salts, Epson salt, and essential oils. The “Beach Time Foot Scrub” blends Salt
Cay salt with a touch of sand from the beautiful Grace Bay beach along with a few other ingredients. These products
make a great memento to take home and a uniquely TCI gift and can be purchased at all the Spa Tropique locations.
For more information on treatments, locations and the Body Tropique products visit www.spatropique.com or email
spa@tciway.tc
On Salt Cay, the popular Island Thyme Bistro has developed an Internet Cafe and a small gift shop. "In season"
the Bistro hosts weekly Hermit Crab Races. The tiny and popular Bistro which invented the World Champion free diver
Tanya Streeter cocktail “Tanya’s Deep Blue” has added several new concoctions to its list of beverages including:
The Wolf, the monkey, and the lizard. The menu has also been updated. For information visit www.islandthyme.tc
Dive Developments
Dive Provo has centralized its services. Dive Provo, conveniently located in the heart of Grace Bay at the Ports
of Call Shopping Centre, has centralized operations here. Divers register in the pleasant retail space and scuba
instruction takes place in the Comfort Suites pool opposite. For excursions divers are picked up by bus and taken
to their boat at either Turtle Cove Marina for trips along Provo's north shore, or to Caicos Marina and Boatyard
for dives out to West Caicos and French Cay. By using 2 marinas we are able to accommodate our divers with the
best conditions for diving and the greatest variety of sites. We have also increased our services to offer a wider
variety of snorkeling excursions which are proving to be very popular. For more information visit our website at
www.diveprovo.com, or e-mail diving@diveprovo.com
Salt Cay Divers has purchased a 32 ft Island Hopper which has ensured that the dive operator can take divers to
sites, near and far in comfort and ease. The new addition has resulted in the creation of a series of new packages
which encompass trips to three islands, Grand Turk, Salt Cay and South Caicos.
A brand new dive operation South Caicos Divers has been established and has teamed up with the South Caicos lodge
to offer divers a chance to explore the award-winning dive sites that surround this island.
Flamingo Divers, Ltd., a scuba diving center on Providenciales, has been upgraded to a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Instructor
Development Center. This prestigious classification awarded by the world’s largest diver certification organization,
the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, better known as PADI, makes Flamingo Divers, Ltd. the first
such PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Center on Providenciales. For more information visit www.flamingodivers.com
or call (800) 204-9282 (USA only).
The Turks and Caicos Islands is a chain of more than 40 islands, only 8 are inhabited: Grand Turk, Providenciales,
North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, Salt Cay, Pine Cay and Parrot Cay. The Islands which have won awards
for their beauty, pristine environment and elegant hotels, enjoy excellent air service, with non-stop flights from
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Miami. For information visit www.turksandcaicostourism.com or call 1-800 241 0824.
Source: Turks & Caicos Tourist Board