VOLUME 14 ISSUE 13

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MARCH 31ST, 2018 – APRIL 7TH, 2018

Website: www.suntci.com

VOLUME 14 - NO. 13

Tel: (649) 348-6838

Email: sun@suntci.com

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Fax: (649) 941-3281

www.facebook.com/tcisun

MORE TOURISM MARKETING MONEY NEEDED FOR TCI M

By Todeline Defralien

ore money is needed to market the Turks and Caicos Islands if the country wants to retain its competitive edge in the Caribbean tourism industry. That’s the view of Director of Tourism, Ramon Andrews who told The SUN that at least $5milion is needed for marketing and promotion. In an exclusive interview, he said “A comfortable start would be $5million annually and this is exclusive of operational, expenses, so $5million to start and over the course of the next two to three years, we should be no less than between $7million to $10 million dollars in marketing budget. The key generator of revenue is tourism and we throw the least money behind it.” He added: “To effectively market this destination and break it out into the segments that it needs to be marketed, because we have a luxury segment this is Grace Bay, Grace Bay is all luxury very high end, we have the Villa segment that is coming and playing a huge role into this market and you have the locals that are coming into this market believe it or not, and they are entering very quietly, but they’re entering and then we have affordable options, the all inclusive options and we have the other islands.” Andrews stressed that they need to start focusing heavily on marketing the other islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands because there is so much culture and so much to do on them. “We’re just leaving it by the way side,” he said. “Not meaning to leave it by the way side but you don’t have the reach so you’re throwing the marketing budget that you have behind this engine right here to keep this running, but if you add a little bit more you can get South Caicos quickly operational. When we say quickly, we’re talking two to three years with some really aggressive marketing campaign.’’ Continued on page 2

Flow Country Manager, Delleriece Hall pictured with students from the Oseta Jolly Primary School.

Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation to give $290,000 to improve lives of Caribbean children The Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation recently announced that it will provide additional funding of over US$290,000 to projects that will improve the lives of children in areas of the Caribbean impacted by last year’s hurricanes. This follows the Foundation’s initial US$100,000 donation to ShelterBox for relief efforts after the hurricanes, as well as a clean-up of the CHANCES children’s home in Dominica as part of C&W Communications’ annual Mission Day. The new funding – made up of five individual grants – is a continuation of the Foundation’s plans to restore and rebuild affected countries. The grants will be used to support critical education services in some of the most badly impacted countries including theBritish Virgin Islands (BVI), Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Dominica and Anguilla. Specifically, the Foundation’s

funding will be used as follows: • In BVI: o US$100,000 will be used towards replacing the roof at the sole secondary school - Bregado Flax Secondary School - on Virgin Gorda o US$25,000 will be used towards repairs for the EslynRichiezHenly School for Disabled Children •In TCI,US$100,000 will be used to provide computers, printers, desks and chairs for children in the Osetta Jolly Primary School •In Dominica,US$45,000 will be used towards refurnishing the computer lab of Roseau Primary School, providing essential equipment like computers, projectors, flat screens and printers •In Anguilla,US$22,500 will be used to provide supplies and repair the doors, windows and roof of Bethel Pre-School, working in partnership with Rotary District 7020. The Board of the

Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation chose these projects as it believed they would have a long-lasting positive impact on a great number of children and their families. The projects chosen also align with the Foundation’s strategic aims of educating and empowering communities. Gina Colesanti, Director of the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to provide these much-needed grants to improve the lives of children impacted by the 2017 hurricane seasonin the Caribbean. By rebuilding and furnishing schools in BVI, TCI, Dominica and Anguilla, we’re creating a better environment for these kids to learn and grow – giving them a great start in life and setting them up for future success.” Colesanti also thanked the major sponsors of the Foundation which includeSterlite; the Premier

League; Anixter; Evolution Digital; One Caribbean; Lorac; HBO Latin America; Advantage Communications; Deloitte and Telenet. Their generosity contributed to the US$1 million that the Foundation has raised so far – which includes the US$500,000 seed funding provided by C&W Communications at its launch. The Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation was set up by C&W Communications initially as response to the humanitarian crisis caused by devastating hurricanes in 2017. The Foundation is increasingly the company’s platform for advancing social development in the region, as it strives to fulfil its mission of connecting communities and transforming lives, by funding education and empowerment projects like these five initiatives. The Foundation has a number of similar projects in the pipeline and will announce more details in due course.

RAPID RESTORATION EQUALS TCI BUSINESSES GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS www.fortistci.com | 649-946-4313


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