By Julia Maximo, Ocean Club Resorts in Providenciales

Visitor arrivals to Turks & Caicos are on the rise and the destination is becoming more popular, but we still must focus on attracting families to our destination for their annual vacations, especially during the low periods. How can we do that with threats including Zika looming over the Caribbean? Although there haven’t been any local cases reported in Turks & Caicos or most other Caribbean islands in months, families are still avoiding the island and region due to lack of knowledge on the virus and how it is spread.

As stakeholders, it is our duty to spread knowledge on the subject to our past, current and future guests. This can be done through newsletters and emails, providing tips on how families can protect themselves as well as highlighting what the destination and resorts are doing to protect their visitors. Turks & Caicos is home to the number one beach in the world – Grace Bay Beach. The sun, sand and sea sells itself in the Caribbean. What we need to showcase is the precautions we take to protect our guests, especially families during times of uncertainty.

Additionally, safety is the number one priority for traveling families, especially with the current state of politics affecting the world, so if we can ensure our guests that they and their families will be safe while visiting our islands, then they will be more inclined to book that fall getaway to take advantage of off-season deals and continue to keep tourism numbers on the rise and increase the strength of our economies.