PROVIDENCIALES, TCI – The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board is elated to report that the Turks and Caicos Islands is a nominee for three 2022 World Travel Awards (WTAs): World’s Leading Beach Destination, World’s Leading Island Destination, as well as World’s Most Romantic Destination.
The World Travel Awards are the top tier of the World Travel Awards programme, and the annual final shortlist of each World Travel Award is chosen via the following criteria: (i) winners from the corresponding regional award, and (ii) vetted and approved World Travel Award commendations. The World Travel Awards hosted its Caribbean and The Americas Gala Ceremony in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, and the Turks and Caicos Islands boasted an impressive eight nominations and won two awards – Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination and Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination. The former has been won by the Turks and Caicos Islands every single year since 2015 and prior to that, from 2012 to 2014, Grace Bay Beach won the award. The latter has been won by the Turks and Caicos Islands four years in a row.
“It is a special honour for the Turks and Caicos Islands to be a nominee of not one, but three World Travel Awards, as well as to be globally recognized as a world-class destination”, said acting director of tourism, Mary Lightbourne. “This is truly a testament to all of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ tourism stakeholders’ hard work. I highly encourage everyone to thank them for their efforts by taking the time to vote for the Turks and Caicos Islands for the mentioned awards”, added Lightbourne.
2022 has been an extremely successful year for the Turks and Caicos Islands’ tourism industry. Preliminary data from Q1 indicates that the Turks and Caicos Islands welcomed 98.5 percent of the amount of stayover visitors as it did in Q1 of 2019, which was one of the most thriving periods of tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ history. In August 2022, a Tripadvisor report indicated that the Turks and Caicos Islands was the World’s Hottest Travel Destination for Fall 2022.
Based on behavioural data and a consumer sentiment survey, the report showcased the Turks and Caicos Islands having the fastest growing demand based on year-over-year growth. The Turks and Caicos Islands beat out well-established and better-resourced tourism veterans, such as London, Amalfi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok – and separated itself from regional peers by being the only Caribbean destination in the Top 15 of Tripadvisor’s list.
“We are extremely proud that the Turks and Caicos Islands is a nominee for three World Travel Awards. These are often referred to as ‘the industry’s ultimate gold standard’ and to be a nominee for three WTAs is a major achievement in itself” stated Minister of Tourism, Hon. Josephine Connolly. “I echo the statements of the Acting Director of Tourism and ask everyone to take the time the vote for our Beautiful by Nature, Turks and Caicos Islands for the three World Travel Awards that we have been nominated for. Winning these awards would be an incredible achievement for our country’s tourism industry. And as a reminder, tourism is everybody’s business”, added Connolly.
The World Travel Awards Grand Final Ceremony will be held on Friday, November 11, 2022, at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Votes can be cast for the Turks and Caicos Islands for the three World Travel Awards at www.worldtravelawards.com/vote
