The workshops were held in collaboration with the Aquila Centre for Cruise Excellence, with facilitators Ms. Marie Berthe Hatt and Ms. Melanie Colpitts leading the discussions. Experience Turks and Caicos and Aquila are Platinum Partners with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA).
The workshops took place at the Yellowman and Sons auditorium in Grand Turk and focused on two critical areas: Product Development and Vendor Excellence, with an emphasis on creating and delivering innovative experiences that respond to today's travel trends.
As cruise destinations continuously evolve to stay competitive, the Product Development Workshop provided participants with a roadmap to ensure their destination remains fresh and appealing to both cruise lines, with the theme: “What's New in Your Destination?” Key topics included identifying market opportunities and emerging trends, crafting unique and memorable guest experiences, marketing strategies to get experiences noticed, and ensuring product sustainability.
The Vendor Excellence workshop, held on the second day, highlighted the pivotal role vendors play in shaping the overall cruise guest experience. This half-day workshop was designed to empower vendors with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional service, improve sales, and enhance their contribution to the destination’s success. Key topics covered during the Vendor Excellence workshop included understanding the critical role of vendors in the success of cruise tourism, optimizing products and services for maximum impact, sales mastery and improving revenue-generating capabilities, and developing a guest-centric approach to service.
Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Josephine Connolly, applauded the Product Development Team, led by Product Development Manager Mrs. Candesha Mills, for creating an opportunity for tour operators and vendors to enhance their offerings.
“Developing our products to increase visitation and spend on the island is a very important aspect of the work of Experience Turks and Caicos. These workshops will go a long way to spark new ideas and new businesses, to improve the way business is conducted, enhance the product development on the island, and to affirm our commitment to ensuring that everyone across the Turks and Caicos Islands benefits from the tourism industry. I applaud the team for this initiative and I thank everyone who attended and participated in these workshops,” the Minister said.
Mrs. Mills said: “The two-day workshop was incredibly informative and facilitated great discussions among the participants. Tour operators and vendors walked away with a wealth of knowledge on how to enhance their existing products and services and were inspired to create new ones based on current market trends. This training equipped them with the tools they need to stay competitive and continue delivering exceptional experiences to our cruise guests.”
Ms. Berthe Hatt shared her enthusiasm following the two-day workshops: "Grand Turk is such a special community, and Melanie and I are so grateful to Experience Turks and Caicos for this opportunity to work with the tour operators and vendors here. Over the last two days, we've had such engaged participants and great discussions around new product ideas and raising the level of service. We’re excited and cheering you on."
Each attendee received a certificate of completion, symbolizing their readiness to contribute to the success of the Turks and Caicos Islands as a premier cruise destination.
Experience Turks and Caicos continues to lead efforts in enhancing the destination’s offerings and empowering local stakeholders, ensuring the islands remain a top choice for cruise lines and their guests.
Tags: Marie Berthe Hatt, Josephine Connolly, Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), workshop,TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS