Times of the Islands Winter 2023/24

of June. (Disclosure: The author is the co-founder of the
“Race for the Conch” and an advocate for the sport, as
well as a swim instructor.) This international event draws
more than 120 swimmers from the US and Canada who
arrive with friends and family to savor the experience
of swimming through the exquisite turquoise sea. With
70,000 masters swimmers and some 400,000 triathletes
in the US and Canada, there is a huge market to tap into
for year-round swim training. Most of them are in high
income brackets who often plan their vacations around
where they can swim.
It would not take much to encourage these athletes
to vacation here. TCI would only need to specifically
designate and mark-off a safe and boat-free swim zone
running along the shore for a half kilometer. (The typical
roped-off 200 yard swim areas in front of hotels are too
short.) Just as important, a cordoned-off swim zone can
benefit a fast- growing number of local competitive swimmers
training for open water races.
Indeed, only a handful of places in the world have
open water swim zones. Designating one here would give
TCI swimmers a competitive advantage and add to its
one-of-a-kind natural tourism environment with minimal
impact. In time, TCI’s young swimmers could apply their
skills to become swim instructors and coaches, thus further
diversifying employment opportunities.
Go bold with global clout
TCI has long demonstrated a commitment to environmental
guardianship with 11 national parks, 11 nature
reserves, and 4 sanctuaries. These protected areas cover
174 square miles (451 square km) of land and ocean.
In addition to multiple bird species, the parks also protect
endangered iguanas and threatened marine species,
most prominently the humpback whale.
During the winter months of January through March,
hundreds of humpback whales arrive in the warm waters
of TCI to calve and mate before making the long journey
back north to the east coasts of the US, Canada, and
Greenland. During their tropical sojourn, tourists have
the privilege to view these giant cetaceans in the wild and
even experience in-water encounters if guides determine
that conditions are safe and appropriate.
As with birdwatching guides, the DECR is working to
implement a Wildlife Tourism Accreditation program that
would include marine mammal interaction protocol. Welltrained
guides could heighten the visitor experience for
whale-watching (as well as other wildlife activities) and
further raise TCI’s profile as an international environmental
protection leader.
TCI could consider taking another step by limiting
the number of visitors who can watch the whales and
charging for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, somewhat
AGILE LE VIN—WWW.VISITTCI.COM
The clear, clean waters of the Turks & Caicos are the ideal place
for serious swimmers to workout or train for competition.
50 www.timespub.tc