Turks & Caicos Makes a Splash as it Re-engages with Canadian Travel Trade

For the past few years, Turks & Caicos has been largely absent in the Canadian travel trade market, but all of that is about to change.

The former tourist board has been replaced by DMO Experience Turks & Caicos, led by CMO Trina Adams, who was in Toronto for a media luncheon on Tuesday afternoon. The destination is also now represented in the Canadian market by Sue Webb and her team at VoX International. They hosted a Caribbean-themed lunch and provided a destination update to trade and consumer media in downtown Toronto.

Adams spoke with Travel Market Report Canada at the event, stressing the importance of letting the Canadian market know they’re back.

“We know we’ve been absent the last couple of years, but we have established Experience Turks and Caicos and we are the primary advocates for promoting the destination and managing it overall,” she says. “People in the industry haven’t heard a lot from us so we wanted to come and re-introduce our destination.  We’ll be working closely with VoX to bring our many initiatives to life.”

Despite the recent lack of presence with the trade, Canada is the second largest market for the country, with 48,840 visitors to the islands in 2024, a large portion of that – about 80% – driven by repeat visitors.  The islands’ highest arrivals are in February and March, dip down during hurricane season and bounce back during the holiday season in November and December.

Experience Turks & Caicos is anticipating continued growth for 2025, particularly as marketing efforts are expanded in Canada and air connectivity is increased. Currently, Air Canada flies from Toronto daily, WestJet flies from Toronto Fridays and Saturdays and Air Canada flies from Montreal on Saturdays. Adams says the four hour non-stop flights allow travellers to “have breakfast in Toronto or Montreal and lunch in Turks & Caicos”.

Development on the island is continuing, and Maureen Barnes-Smith, Vice President-Sales & Marketing for Unique Vacations Canada says the Beaches brand — which operates one of the most successful and high-profile resorts on Turks & Caicos — will be doing some expansion in the destination.

“In terms of the Beaches brand, our footprint is expanding all over the Caribbean, with lots of exciting news to come.  We’re constantly updating the product to make sure we’re exceeding our customers’ expectations,” she said at the event. “We know the Beaches brand is one of our fastest growing brands right now – it’s not just couples, it’s single, it’s multi-generational, it’s family. Beaches caters to so many different demographics.”

Turks & Caicos holds special appeal to the affluent traveller, largely due to its offering of luxury accommodations including Salterra, St. Regis and Andaz. Travellers also have the option to arrive in style, with visa-free entry, expedited service, VIP Meet & Greet and VIP transfers available via Fast Track, Sky Pass Caribbean and VIP Flyers Lounge.

It’s those experiences that are likely driving Canadians to keep coming back.

“Despite our absence, Canadian visitation remains consistent with a high number of repeat visitors. These are individuals who appreciate the destination and return frequently. We aim to increase those numbers and will be collaborating with VoX to achieve that goal this year,” said Adams.