Turks & Caicos Reports 12 Percent Increase in Tourist Arrivals

Turks & Caicos Reports 12 Percent Increase in Tourist Arrivals

The Turks & Caicos Islands expect to welcome their 1 millionth tourist arrivals by the second week in October, according the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board (TCTB). While TCTB officials did not reveal overall tourist arrival figures, “Turks and Caicos tourist arrivals for 2010 remain strong with a 12 percent increase when compared to 2009,” according to a statement.

TCTB attributed a significant part of the 2010 tourism increase to the cruise business and the purpose-built Grand Turk Cruise Center (GTCC), which opened in 2006. “The 2010 cruise season was a record for the GTCC with a total of 248 calls from 40 cruise ships representing 14 different cruise brands,” according to the statement. “GTCC hosted a record 622,720 passengers, representing a 19 percent increase over the previous year and [a] 113 percent increase over 2006.”