The Turks and Caicos Islands has welcomed more than one million cruise passengers in the first 10 months of 2024.
There were 1,034,251 arriving at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre up to October 31st, 2024, far surpassing the 924,250 total number of passengers that arrived in 2023.
“Grand Turk is on fire!” said Minister of Tourism, Josephine Connolly. “Grand Turk has certainly seen an uptick in the number of ships and passengers arriving at the Cruise Centre throughout the year. This is supported by a recent BREA report that showed over the past year $116 million dollars was spent by cruise passengers, crews, and the cruise lines. Experience Turks and Caicos, along with my ministry, have taken note of the growth in our cruise sector, and we are working to enhance our product offerings and visitor experiences with new initiatives and infrastructural enhancements to ensure Grand Turk remains one of the top ports for cruise lines.”
Over the past year, the Grand Turk Cruise Centre has welcomed new cruise lines including Royal Caribbean and MSC Seascape.
As Experience Turks and Caicos seeks to capitalise on the growing popularity of Grand Turk, it is focused on creating new and enhanced offerings for visitors while ensuring citizens benefit economically, which serves its pillar of inclusive growth.
It recently collaborated with the Aquila Centre for Cruise to offer two workshops on Product Development and Vendor Excellence to encourage tour operators and vendors to strengthen their businesses and create new opportunities.
Experience Turks and Caicos has also launched a weekly food and culture fair called Taste of Turks, which takes place every Thursday from 10 am to 8:30 pm on Queen Street.
This celebration of cuisine and culture creates an immersive experience for cruise passengers and locals alike, featuring vendors selling authentic Turks and Caicos Islands cuisine, Made in TCI gifts, and live performances.
