Turks And Caicos Islands, The Delicate Balance Between Development And Preservation

Like myself, some citizens are often skeptical about any major developments and rapid population growth across these islands. It is seen as a danger in commoditising deeply held traditions so closely linked to individuals and our collective identity.

But there is a caveat. Many still see it as the primary way to keep these tiny islands alive and to survive.

Tourism is the bread and butter of this tiny British Overseas Territory, with close to US$800 million annually. This alone corresponds to approximately 75% of the country’s gross domestic product. Although Providenciales is the main hub for visitors via air travel, many are unaware that the sister islands are only a hop, skip and a jump away either by an interconnecting flight or the local ferry boats.

In recent years, visitors have been flocking to the historical island of Grand Turk which is the capital of Turks and Caicos Islands, although, in terms of development, it may not appear to be.

On this island in particular, over 80 percent of the residents depend to some extent on tourism. Grand Turk has a number of the amenities as most major cities, but still gives you that small town feel.

Like the sister island, Salt Cay, some supplies are limited. There is a fairly large selection of groceries at the supermarkets, however, healthy foods come at a high price. What residents and visitors can depend on is fresh catch of the day, which is regularly available by the local fishermen at reasonable prices.

Those in the tourism business tend to try and earn as much of their income as possible from visitors during the peak tourism season which is between November and April.