Tourism in the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and n ...

is an industry that generates more than 1 million tourist arrivals per year, and is "the main source of revenue for the country. The tourism industry began in the 1980s, with the opening of Club Med Turquoise, the country's first main resort." "Tourism has benefited from the proximity to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and the stability via being a

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

. The opening of a cruise port on

Grand Turk Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands (the smaller of the two archipelagos that make up the island territory) with . Grand Turk contains the territory's capital, Cockburn To ...

in 2006 resulted in a significant increase in tourism arrivals to the country."

Cultural and heritage tourism

Cockburn Town Cockburn Town ( ) is the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, spreading across most of Grand Turk Island. It was founded in 1681 by salt collectors. Geography Cockburn Town is located on the largest island in the Turks Islands archipelago, ...

was founded in 1681 by Bermudian salt collectors. This has resulted in a British colonial heritage which continues to this day.

Major historical sites

Grand Turk Lighthouse Grand Turk Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands. The structure, overlooking North Creek, was completed by British architect Alexander Gordon in 1852 to alert sailors of the shallow reef. Brighter kerosene ...

* Wade's Green Plantation * Cheshire Hall plantation *

Haulover Plantation Haulover Park is a urban park owned and operated by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department, located in metropolitan Miami, just north of Bal Harbour, Florida. The park is located on a shoal between the Atlantic Ocean and ...

Ecotourism

The Caicos Banks, which lie south of the chain of Caicos Islands, is a unique destination for many types of watersports, such as kiteboarding and Standup paddleboarding. A number of wetlands throughout the islands are protected under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

. Providenciales is home to several national parks, including the Northwest Point National Park and the Pigeon Pond and Frenchman’s Creek Nature Reserve, which is home to the endangered

West Indian whistling duck The West Indian whistling duck (''Dendrocygna arborea'') is a whistling duck that breeds in the Caribbean. Alternative names are black-billed whistling duck and Cuban whistling duck. Distribution The West Indian whistling duck is widely scatter ...

Tourism promotion

Tourism promotion is handled through

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

grants to private businesses, direct marketing by large chain resorts, and organizations such as

Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Visit Turks and Caicos Islands is an organization tasked with promoting tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Tourism is the main driver of the national economy in the islands, accounting for 42.8% of the national GDP in 2013.http://suntci.com/ ...

. interCaribbean Airways (formerly Air Turks and Caicos) is an important source of regional visitor traffic as there is a lack of regional airlift into the country. Expansion of the Providenciales International Airport was completed in 2015 in efforts to encourage more trans-Atlantic flights to the country.

References

{{Reflist Turks