Editing Turks and Caicos Islands (section)

==Economy==
[[File:TC-grand-turk-cruiseterminal-2.jpg|thumb|left|Cruise terminal at [[Grand Turk]]]]

The economy of Turks and Caicos is dominated by tourism, offshore finance and fishing.<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="britannica.com"/> The US dollar is the main currency used on the islands.

Historically, the salt industry, along with small [[sea sponge|sponge]] and [[hemp]] exports, sustained the Turks and Caicos Islands (only barely, however; there was little population growth and the economy stagnated). The economy grew in the 1960s, when American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Providenciales and built the archipelago's first hotel, "The Third Turtle".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turks and Caicos History |url=https://www.visittci.com/nature-and-history/history#:~:text=The%20start%20was%20the%20construction%20of%20the,water,%20exquisite%20reefs,%20and%20white%20sand%20beaches. |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Visit Turks and Caicos Islands |language=en}}</ref> A small trickle of tourists began to arrive, supplementing the salt-based economy. [[Club Med]] set up a resort at Grace Bay soon after.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} In the 1980s, Club Med funded an upgrading of the airstrip to allow for larger aircraft, and since then, tourism has been gradually on the increase.<ref name="britannica.com"/>

In 2009, GDP contributions were as follows:<ref name="quickstat1">{{cite web|url=http://www.depstc.org/quickstats/qstat1.html |title=TCI Stats Box |date=February 25, 2010 |website=Department of Economic Planning and Statistics |access-date=13 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913165548/http://depstc.org/quickstats/qstat1.html |archive-date=13 September 2014 }}</ref> Hotels & Restaurants 34.67%, [[Tax haven|Financial Services]] 13.12%, Construction 7.83%, Transport, Storage & Communication 9.90%, and Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities 9.56%.{{Clarify|date=February 2009}}<!-- faithfully copied from source, but adds up to 133%and makes no sense to me. Some income allocated to more than one category maybe?? updated July 2014, still needs clarification- now the source doesn't add up to 100% --> Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported.<ref name="cia.gov"/>

In 2010/2011, major sources of government revenue included Import Duties (43.31%), Stamp Duty on Land Transaction (8.82%), Work Permits and Residency Fees (10.03%) and Accommodation Tax (24.95%). The territory's gross domestic product as of late 2009 is approximately US$795 million (per capita $24,273).<ref name="quickstat1"/>

The labour force totalled 27,595 workers in 2008{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}. The labour force distribution in 2006 is as follows:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px;"
|-
! Skill level   !! Percentage
|-
|Unskilled/Manual ||53%
|-
|Semi-skilled   ||12%
|-
|Skilled     ||20%
|-
|Professional   ||15%
|}

The unemployment rate in 2008 was 8.3%. In 2007–2008, the territory took in revenues of $206.79 million against expenditures of $235.85 million. In 1995, the island received economic aid worth $5.7 million. The territory's currency is the United States dollar, with a few government fines (such as airport infractions) being payable in pounds sterling. Most commemorative coin issues are denominated in crowns.<ref>"[https://en.numista.com/catalogue/iles_turques-et-caiques-1.html Coins from Turks and Caicos Islands]", Numista. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822204201/https://en.numista.com/catalogue/iles_turques-et-caiques-1.html |date=22 August 2019 }}. Retrieved on 22 August 2019.</ref>

The primary agricultural products include limited amounts of maize, beans, [[cassava]] ([[tapioca]]) and citrus fruits. Fish and conch are the only significant export, with some $169.2 million of lobster, dried and fresh [[conch]], and conch shells exported in 2000, primarily to the United Kingdom and the United States. In recent years, however, the catch has been declining. The territory used to be an important trans-shipment point for South American narcotics destined for the United States, but due to the ongoing pressure of a combined American, Bahamian and Turks and Caicos effort this trade has been greatly reduced.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The islands import food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufacture and construction materials, primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom. Imports totalled $581 million in 2007.

The islands produce and consume 236.5 GWh of electricity, per year, all of which comes from fossil fuels.<ref>{{Cite journal |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |date=May 2020 |title=Turks & Caicos: Energy Snapshot |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/09/f79/ETI-Energy-Snapshot-Turks-Caicos_FY20.pdf |journal=Energy Transition Initiative |access-date=21 March 2022 |archive-date=6 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706155347/https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/09/f79/ETI-Energy-Snapshot-Turks-Caicos_FY20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tourism=== <!--linked from [[Template:Turks and Caicos topics]]-->
{{main|Tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands}}
Tourism is one of the largest sources of income for the islands, with most visitors coming from America via ship.<ref name="cia.gov"/> Tourist arrivals had risen to 264,887 in 2007 and to 351,498 by 2009. In 2010, a total of 245 cruise ships arrived at the Grand Turk Cruise Terminal, carrying a total of 617,863 visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.depstc.org/quickstats/qstat2.html |title=TCI Stats Box |website=Department of Economic Planning and Statistics |access-date=15 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113142447/http://www.depstc.org/quickstats/qstat2.html |archive-date=13 November 2009 }}</ref>

[[File:Turks and Caicos Islands sunset.jpg|thumb|right|A Turks and Caicos sunset]]
[[File:Grand Turk beach.JPG|thumb|right|View of the southwestern beach at [[Grand Turk]]]]

The government is pursuing a two-pronged strategy to increase tourism. Upmarket resorts are aimed at the wealthy, while a large new cruise-ship port and recreation centre has been built for the masses visiting Grand Turk. Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the longest coral reefs in the world<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jupitermag.com/nomads-notebook/worlds-third-largest-coral-system-awaits-turks-and-caicos |first1=Gloria |last1=Stuart |title=The World's Third-Largest Coral System Awaits At Turks And Caicos|website=Jupiter Magazine|date=26 February 2019|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019|archive-date=12 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812075026/https://www.jupitermag.com/nomads-notebook/worlds-third-largest-coral-system-awaits-turks-and-caicos|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visittci.com/about/interesting-facts |title=Interesting Facts about the Turks and Caicos Islands |access-date=14 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405035347/https://www.visittci.com/about/interesting-facts |archive-date= 5 April 2016 }}</ref> and the world's only [[conch]] farm.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caribbeandays.com/destinationguide/turksandcaicos/tourism.aspx |title=Tourism in Turks & Caicos |publisher=Caribbean Days |access-date=20 February 2015 |archive-date=21 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221011500/http://caribbeandays.com/destinationguide/turksandcaicos/tourism.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The French vacation village company of Club Méditerannée ([[Club Med]]) has an all-inclusive adult resort called 'Turkoise' on [[Providenciales]].

The islands have become popular with various celebrities. Several Hollywood stars have owned homes in the Turks and Caicos, including [[Dick Clark]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visittci.com/about/celebrities-famous-people|title=Celebrities and Famous People in the Turks and Caicos|website=Visit Turks and Caicos Islands|language=en|access-date=10 October 2019|archive-date=25 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425065222/https://www.visittci.com/about/celebrities-famous-people|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Bruce Willis]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/bruce-willis-sells-turks-and-caicos-compound-for-27-million-11564657240|title=Bruce Willis Sells Turks and Caicos Compound for $27 Million|last=Clarke|first=Katherine|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=August 2019|language=en-US|access-date=10 October 2019|archive-date=10 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010035623/https://www.wsj.com/articles/bruce-willis-sells-turks-and-caicos-compound-for-27-million-11564657240|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ben Affleck]] and [[Jennifer Garner]] married on [[Parrot Cay]] in 2005. Actress [[Eva Longoria]] and her ex-husband [[Tony Parker]] went to the islands for their honeymoon in July 2007. Musician [[Nile Rodgers]] has a vacation home on the island.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Alleyne |first1=Mike |title=Interview With Nile Rodgers |journal=Journal on the Art of Record Production |date=October 2007 |issue=2 |url=https://www.arpjournal.com/asarpwp/interview-with-nile-rodgers/ |access-date=8 August 2021 |archive-date=8 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808202649/https://www.arpjournal.com/asarpwp/interview-with-nile-rodgers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

To boost tourism during the Caribbean low season of late summer, since 2003 the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board have organised and hosted an annual series of concerts during this season called the Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Turks and Caicos Music & Cultural Festival |url=http://www.musicfestival.tc/ |date=21 April 2008 |access-date=7 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612181412/http://www.musicfestival.tc/ |archive-date=12 June 2008}}</ref> Held in a temporary [[Shell (theater)|bandshell]] at The Turtle Cove Marina in [[The Bight]] on [[Providenciales]], this festival lasts about a week and has featured several notable international recording artists, such as [[Lionel Richie]], [[LL Cool J]], [[Anita Baker]], [[Billy Ocean]], [[Alicia Keys]], [[John Legend]], [[Kenny Rogers]], [[Michael Bolton]], [[Ludacris]], [[Chaka Khan]], and [[Boyz II Men]].<ref name="musicfestival.tc">{{cite news |title=The Turks and Caicos Music & Cultural Festival News Release |url=http://www.musicfestival.tc/go/en/news-info--ID--67.html|date=21 April 2008 |access-date=7 August 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080804034317/http://www.musicfestival.tc/go/en/news-info--ID--67.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 4 August 2008}}</ref> More than 10,000 people attend annually.<ref name="musicfestival.tc"/> In 2024 several American tourists were arrested for being in possession of small arms ammunition, each facing 12 year mandatory prison terms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebrahimji |first1=Alisha |title=What we know about the Americans arrested for bringing ammo to Turks and Caicos |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/28/americas/ammo-arrests-turks-and-caicos/index.html |website=CNN |date=28 May 2024 |access-date=4 June 2024}}</ref>

;Resorts
* Grace Bay Club<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gracebayclub.gracebayresorts.com/ |title=Grace Bay Club |website=Grace Bay Resorts |access-date=2022-03-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126203841/https://gracebayclub.gracebayresorts.com/ |archive-date=2022-01-26}}</ref>
* [[The Somerset on Grace Bay]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thesomerset.com/ |title=The Somerset on Grace Bay |website=www.thesomerset.com |access-date=22 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204112417/https://www.thesomerset.com/ |archive-date=2021-12-04}}</ref>
* [[Beaches Resorts]] – Turks & Caicos<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.beaches.com/resorts/turks-caicos/ |title=Beaches Turks & Caicos |work=Beaches Resorts |access-date=2022-03-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216205107/https://www.beaches.com/resorts/turks-caicos/ |archive-date=2022-02-16}}</ref>
* Seven Stars Resort<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sevenstarsgracebay.com/ |title=Seven Stars Resort & Spa |website=www.sevenstarsgracebay.com |access-date=22 March 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228013145/https://www.sevenstarsgracebay.com/ |archive-date=2022-02-28}}</ref>
* Alexandra Resort<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alexandraresort.com/ |title=Alexandra Resort |work=www.alexandraresort.com |access-date=11 June 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130040307/https://www.alexandraresort.com/ |archive-date=2022-01-30}}</ref>
* West Bay Club<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thewestbayclub.gracebayresorts.com/ |title=West Bay Club |website=Grace Bay Resorts |access-date=2022-03-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225144934/https://thewestbayclub.gracebayresorts.com/ |archive-date=2021-12-25}}</ref>