June 15 - The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the exclusive tourism authority for the Turks and Caicos Islands, announced that the destination has received an Alert Level 1 from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The new travel health notice represents a major milestone in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ vaccine campaign, which began in January 2021 and has resulted in more than 65 percent of the adult population receiving at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine–—making it one of the most inoculated countries in the world.

 

The country’s strong vaccination rate combined with the success of its safety protocols has curbed the spread of COVID-19 and allowed for continuous safe travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The destination has enjoyed strong occupancy rates over the past few months, including an average of over 70 percent capacity for April 2021.

 

News of the CDC’s Alert Level 1 arrives following the most recent reports by the Ministry of Health and Human Services that a total of 65 percent of the adult population has received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Additionally, 55 percent of the adult population is now fully vaccinated having received both vaccines.

 

These powerful statistics speak to the effectiveness of the vaccine campaign initiated by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, which has included billboards encouraging vaccinations across the islands; incentives allowing businesses with fully vaccinated staff to operate at higher capacities; and initiatives by valued hotel, restaurant, and tour operator partners urging their associates to get vaccinated, inclusive of regular giveaways, to help protect themselves and others. Additionally, the Turks and Caicos Islands have consistently upheld its safety protocols at an internationally accepted standard.

 

In addition to its Level 1 Alert, the Turks and Caicos Islands received the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel Council, which denotes that its existing safety protocols align with the core requirements established by the WTTC, along with governments and health experts, which are designed to standardize safe travel. These include, but are not limited to, urging proper physical distancing, enforcing capacity limits, requiring masks in public places, and ensuring proper hand washing techniques and sanitation, among other core ‘Safe Travels’ requirements.

 

The Turks and Caicos Islands has remained vigilant and consistent regarding its international traveler requirements, which are the same for vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers. The country’s TCI Assured, a quality assurance portal on the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board website, provides a travel authorization only after visitors have provided proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test results from an accredited healthcare facility within five days prior to their arrival to the destination, proof of medical insurance that covers COVID-19 medical related costs and a completed health screening questionnaire. A 14-day quarantine period is not required for visitors once they have tested negative for the virus.

 

Upon arrival to the airport, visitors can expect to present a copy of their TCI Assured certifications to local authorities, all of whom wear personal protective equipment, before proceeding through immigration where temperature checks for each traveler will also occur. Upon departure, most travelers are now required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test to be able to return to their country of origin; many hotels across the Islands now have on-site testing sites, allowing for an easy and seamless experience.

 

The Turks and Caicos Islands—home to the “World’s Best Beach”—is a coveted five-star luxury vacation destination for leisure, business, and notable guests from around the globe. With nine main islands and about 40 small islands and uninhabited cays, the destination is inherently safe for travel in this new paradigm of physical distancing, given its expansiveness, stunning outdoor environment, privacy, spacious resort accommodations, and unique portfolio of extraordinary private villas and private islands vacations. An extensive list of COVID-19 testing facilities across all Sister Islands can be found on the Tourist Board’s official website turksandcaicostourism.com.

 

The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board encourages travelers to consider the CDC’s Travel Health Notices and the WTTC’s Safe Travels vacation destinations for 2020 and 2021. The Islands’ award-winning hotels and resorts, private villas, restaurants and bars, and tour operators are open and / or are accepting bookings.

 

For more information on the Turks and Caicos Islands, call 1 (800) 241-0824 or visit turksandcaicostourism.com.

 

 

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