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COS Nominated for Eight Distinguished Awards

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands (March 16^th, 2022) – The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the exclusive tourism authority for the Turks and Caicos Islands, is pleased to announce that the destination has been nominated for eight (8) distinguished World Travel Awards™.

World Travel Awards™, celebrates its 29^th anniversary year this year, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Over the years, the Turks and Caicos have won numerous World Travel Awards and, it is with hope, that the destination will win the awards in the various coveted categories.

The categories are as follows:

Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Dive Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Luxury Island Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands
Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board
Caribbean’s Most Romantic Destination 2022: Turks & Caicos Islands

The international voting window for our Caribbean and North America regions opened on Tuesday, 15^th March (see link here) and runs until midnight Tuesday, 3^rd May. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes in each category announced as the 2022 World Travel Awards™ winner.

Director of Tourism, Miss Pamela Ewing stated that: “to be nominated for not just one, but eight awards is truly momentous! This gives credence to the work that we in the Turks and Caicos have been doing over the past year and will continue to do. It is indeed an honor that we were nominated for so many and I am truly proud of the work the team have put in to market the destination.”

Hon. Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism stated that: “To be nominated for such distinguished awards speaks to the world-class, exceptional quality of our tourism product. This is a true testament of our Government, Stakeholders and Turks and Caicos Islanders dedication and commitment to the tourism industry. For this, I thank you! I would encourage everyone to vote for the Turks and Caicos Islands as these accolades are well deserved.”

After the close of voting, the winners of each category in this year’s programme will be invited to attend the red carpet World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala Ceremony – the region’s premier VIP tourism gathering – which will take place on 14 June 2022 at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Forever Home: Grenada Tourism Authority Launches 473 Connect for Grenadians in the Diaspora

St. George’s, Grenada W.I. – Grenada has one of the most active diaspora communities in the Caribbean. To reconigize their unrelenting support and contribution, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has launched an incentive program called 473 Connect, targeting the 360,000 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Grenadians in the diaspora across the globe.

“These sons and daughters of the destination are a venerable group of ambassadors, suited to reengage their roots and culture, as well as share the island’s allure with their networks,” said Petra Roach, CEO of the GTA. “They are our unsung heroes who are there to support whenever it is needed without expecting anything in return.  It is through their voices that the story of Grenada is organically shared overseas and the ones who without being called, raised their hands and asked at the most vulnerable hour – how can we help? We are here to help our beloved country.”

Participants will enroll via the website (expert.puregrenada.com/473connect)and complete a 12 module training program, which once completed, affords them the status as a 473 Connect Ambassador.

Fueled with this up-to-date information, 473 Connect Ambassadors are then fully armed to recommend friends and colleagues as to why Grenada is a great choice for a holiday destination.  They also have exclusive access to a list of preferred travel advisors who can turn their referrals into bookings.

Participants to the program are eligible to apply for a membership card which offers extensive discounts on accommodations and experiences across the island, so that they can continue to learn more about the tourism product and experience it firsthand.  They will then receive points once their recommended friends and colleagues travel to Grenada, which can be accumulated and exchanged for accommodation, tours, meals and other offerings.

To provide more information and introduce the program further, there will be a series of upcoming webinars as well as promotional evenings in London, Manchester, New York, Miami, Toronto and Montreal.  Fam trips will also be hosted for top performers to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.  At the end of the calendar year, the 473 Connect Ambassador with the most referrals from each market, will win a grand prize of an all-inclusive trip for two persons, inclusive of airfare, accommodation, meals, an excursion and transfers.

“If every Grenadian in the diaspora convinces at least one friend or colleague to visit the tri-island state, imagine what that would do for our arrival numbers and the economic benefits that derive, said Petra Roach.

For further details on 473 Connect, please  visit https://expert.puregrenada.com/473connect/. For more information on Grenada or to plan a getaway to the destination, visit www.puregrenada.com.

British Virgin Islands Tourist Board Unveils Newly Designed Website

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands -The British Virgin Islands’ official on-line presence has been redesigned, refreshed and released! The new design of www.bvitourism.com is part of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission’s (BVITB) dedication to creating a captivating modern digital experience for the destination and secures a robust and user-friendly on-line location for the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission (BVITB).

The completely revamped website is enhanced by superior visual content and features a cutting-edge platform that provides the enhanced ability to promote local tourism businesses with complete and accurate descriptions of their services.  Visitors to the site will appreciate the improved ease of navigation and the ability to contact businesses directly.  Users will also enjoy enhanced features which will aid them in thoroughly planning their visit, by allowing them to save the businesses they would like to patronize using the site’s geomarketing capabilities.  This key feature of the website’s optimization strategy gives the BVITB the capability to target people by geographic location – an innovative means of enhancing the BVI’s global marketing reach.

“Creating a new and exciting, yet informative experience for all visitors of the BVITB’s website was our priority. This interactive tool allows our Tourism Industry Partners to effectively engage with prospective guests,” said Director of Tourism, Clive McCoy.  “This project began in 2021 and I am pleased to unveil the cutting-edge website that will serve our needs for the foreseeable future.”

The new website will be launched in English and versions in over 10 languages will follow.  Users can also expect new information to be added daily.  The website will be continually monitored and updated for the best possible optimisation.

“Our platform had become obsolete and presented a number of challenges that went as far back as 2017.  I am pleased that our Marketing and Business Development teams now have a fully functioning website.  This site will be used in our call to action and our various marketing campaigns,” said Deputy Director of Tourism, Rhodni Skelton.

The new website comes at a time where much of tourism advertising and interaction is primarily conducted on the internet.  Internet usage for tourism destination leads outweighs traditional means like print and television.  The much-needed refreshing update is timely to the Digital Marking programme.

“Our goal is to have the most complete information portal about the BVI there is,” BVITB’s Digital Marketing Coordinator and project lead, James Kelley commented. “It is indeed a joy for me to see the process of creating this very interactive website come to fruition.”  Mr. Kelly who led the website’s transformation efforts worked with Cendyn, formerly known as Next Guest, to create the innovative marketing tool.

This Summer is Sweeter in Barbados 

Restrictions are relaxing, borders are reopening, and Barbados is the perfect place to create magical moments this summer. Travellers looking to satisfy their need for adventure and relaxation now have a special incentive to choose Barbados.

The island’s new summer campaign just launched and promises sweet savings of up to 55 percent off accommodations, attractions, car rentals and restaurants. Visitors can take advantage of diverse accommodations from luxury hotels on the beach, to charming bed-and-breakfast spots, or private villas nestled in lush gardens.

Adventure lovers can explore all of the experiences and uncover the secrets that make Barbados stand apart from the rest of the Caribbean. Whether it’s biking solo through hidden trails on the East coast; or enjoying a fresh fish cutter at an inviting beach bar with the whole family, Barbados offers a memorable holiday experience for every kind of traveller to immerse themselves in Barbadian culture and way of life.

This summer there’s also lots in store for foodies in the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. Visitors can try any of the island’s many new restaurants including QP Bistro, Blush Café, Cosmo Club, Cala Roca, Local and Co., and Seashed, and share all of their experiences on social media under the hashtags #barbadosmoments #barbadosmemories and #barbadossecrets.

To enjoy all of these Barbados experiences and more, visitors can book their savings directly at www.BarbadosSummerSavings.com between March 7 and August 31, 2022, for travel between April 21 and October 31, 2022. The destination is proud to announce that they have partnered with a new local online travel agent, Book Barbados, to facilitate bookings for the summer campaign. This innovative move comes as the destination more purposefully collborates with homegrown businesses and local private sector partners.

Crop Over is back!

Also on the cards this summer after a two-year hiatus, is the island’s largest annual festival. The Crop Over Festival is Barbados’ most popular, most colourful and most anticipated event. This unique summer festival attracts thousands of visitors from across the globe who come to enjoy Barbadian heritage, culture, music, food and dance, every May through August. One of the Caribbean’s most culturally significant festivals, the 300-year-old tradition of Crop Over marks the end of the sugar cane growing season.

Crop Over culminates with Grand Kadooment, held the first Monday in August. Costumed revelers can be seen parading through the streets from morning until evening, and if lucky, may even catch a glimpse of one of the many celebrities known to frequent the island during this time, including Sir Lewis Hamilton, Jordan Dunn and Barbados’ very own Rihanna.

Prime Minister the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, announced that Barbados will have a modified Crop Over for 2022, for the first time in two years. Visitors and Barbadians alike will enjoy the festival this year in a safe way as the Prime Minister outlined that the staging of Grand Kadooment and ForeDay Morning will be done in a new and innovative way without sacrificing enjoyment and safety.

“We are happy for this because we know that after two years of no Crop Over and no release, people are more than waiting for this opportunity,” Mottley said.

Rapid test and fly

To sweeten the deal, getting to Barbados this summer just got a lot easier as Rapid Antigen Tests for entry into the country are now accepted. Plus, there’s no quarantine period for fully vaccinated travellers with valid negative tests.

The widely popular Rapid tests are readily available in Barbados’ primary source markets, and results are typically returned within one hour. Rapid Antigen Tests to enter Barbados must be administered by a healthcare provider no more than one day prior to arrival in Barbados.

Along with Rapid Antigen Tests, COVID PCR tests taken no more than three days prior to arrival in Barbados are also on the list of approved tests for entry into the country.

For more on Barbados’ entry protocols, visit www.BarbadosTravelProtocols.com.