In response to a recent press release published on Yahoo Finance, claiming there has been a new privately-owned tourist board in the Turks and Caicos Islands, government has come out swinging against such disinformation.
In a news release, the government stated that the Ministry of Tourism and the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, which is transitioning into a Destination Management Organization, are the only official tourism bodies of the Turks and Caicos Islands, stating that any other entity claiming to be such, is misleading.
The government stated that a press release by Handfield Enterprises on "Best of Turks and Caicos Inc." claims that the company has put together a board of advisors consisting of 30 former senior government officials from the US, UK, and Caribbean, alongside experts in artificial intelligence, fintech, tourism infrastructure, aviation, marketing, mass media, and web 3 development.
“The company claims that its board's advisors will work with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to provide the necessary resources and support to help businesses succeed. These claims are misleading, and unsupported,” the government said.
It noted that "Best of Turks and Caicos Inc." has a presence on a multitude of social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitter, adding that it also launched its own mobile apps and website – further infiltrating the digital space as a misleading entity.
“The official social media accounts for the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board are @tcitourism across all social media platforms, and the official website is www.turksandcaicostourism.com,” the government news release said.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Josephine Connolly, who weighed in on the mater, reiterated the Government's commitment to protecting the integrity of the country's tourism industry.
"The misleading activities of 'Best of Turks and Caicos Inc.' are unacceptable. Our tourism stakeholders have worked tirelessly to ensure the successful rebound of the tourism industry, and we will not allow anyone to take credit for their hard work or misrepresent themselves as an official tourism body of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We will work diligently to investigate this matter and take all necessary legal actions against those responsible," Connolly said.
The government pointed out that the Ministry of Tourism and the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the integrity of the Turks and Caicos Islands' tourism industry is protected.
It stated that all misleading activities will be investigated thoroughly, and those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“The Ministry of Tourism urges travelers to rely solely on information from official sources, such as the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism for the Turks and Caicos Islands,” the release said.
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