The web site, www.turksandcaicostourism.com, is also now available for local businesses to use as a platform to promote their tourist offerings. Hotels, restaurants, tour operators, spas, rental agencies and other businesses catering to tourists are eligible for a free listing on the popular web site. And, for the first time, businesses can enhance their visibility on the site through banner advertising, editorial content, and site sponsorship.

Among the new features being added to the site are:

• A ‘blog’ column that shares ‘insider tips’ on the islands and allows tourists to share their experiences with each other

• A regular email newsletter sent to thousands of visitors and potential visitors to TCI that includes the latest and news, events, travel deals and developments on the islands

• A special Real Estate section where developers can advertise their projects to potential investors

• An on-line chat feature where visitors to the site can ask questions about the destination and get real-time responses from local experts

• Interactive maps to help tourists pinpoint various points of interest

• Professionally developed video to showcase the beauty of the islands and its attractions

• An enhanced travel booking system, allowing tourists to book their flights, hotels, rental car and tours in one location

• More foreign language content to appeal to international travelers from places like Russia and China

• More in-depth reviews of restaurants, hotels and other attractions, some shared by fellow tourists

To continue to drive more traffic to the site, the Tourist Board also has plans for more direct marketing, banner advertising on other popular web sites, and search engine optimization techniques.

“We view the internet as an integral part of our overall marketing strategy and complementary to the other ways we promote the destination such as print advertising trade shows and events and through the press. More and more travel is researched and booked on line, so it’s critical that we have a robust and proactive Internet strategy to attract people to our web site, and ultimately to the Turks and Caicos,” said Ralph Higgs, Director of  Tourism Marketing for the Tourist Board. “We are especially pleased to be able to offer the reach and popularity of our site as an advertising platform for all local businesses. We feel that they will get more bang for their buck by using our site simply because we are reaching millions of qualified tourists and investors before they have made any purchase decisions.”

Higgs went on to report that web traffic is at an all-time high for the site, with close to 200,000 unique visitors coming to the site last month alone. A campaign to develop an email mailing list for the upcoming email newsletter generated more than 2,500 subscribers in just over a month since it was launched.

“The Internet gives us tremendous reach, capabilities and efficiency. In order to maintain and enhance the perception of the Turks and Caicos as an elite destination, we must offer cutting-edge tools and services for people to learn more about our Beautiful by Nature Islands,” said Honorable Wayne Garland, Executive Director of the Tourist Board. “We know nothing replaces an actual visit to the islands, but hopefully through our web site and on-line marketing, we can create a “virtual experience” that will translate into more tourists actually coming here.”

The Tourist Board also announced it has extended the contract with local marketing firm Wired Island, Ltd. to manage the implementation of the new features for the site.

For more information about advertising on the Tourist Board site, go to: www.turksandcaicostourism.com/go/en/advertising.html.