Same shoreline, new timeline.

By Abigail Parnell & Alejandra Parnell ~ Historical Photos By Angela Parnell

The Turks & Caicos Islands were blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. They are a key ingredient in the booming tourism industry.

Long before the Turks & Caicos Islands were being sold as holiday packages by travel advisors worldwide, daily life on the Islands was much different. If you went back in time by 80 years, you would observe many Islanders fetching water from wells, fishing for dinner, and farming the land. Fast-forward to today, and these essential skills—sewing and basket-weaving, farming, fishing, and boat-building—are a foreign language to many of today’s youth. What used to be necessary for survival has been replaced by fast fashion, supermarket produce and seafood, and modern boats. These skills were not only survival strategies, but cultural identifiers—wells of wisdom that are at risk of running dry in our modern times. 

Back in the day

Before tourism sprang to life, most Islanders relied on their self-sufficiency, creativity, and determination to sustain themselves. Most of their food supply came from farming the land, fishing the sea, and trading with other island nations. This was a time when the skill of boat-building was invaluable to the country, as the Caicos sloops were able to journey great distances themselves (during wartime), rather than waiting on trading vessels such as the MV Kirksons, which came from Jamaica to Grand Turk as a source for goods and supplies. This enabled them to bring goods from other countries such as Haiti, The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic. They traded dried conch, fish, and pigeon peas in exchange for rice, grits, and flour. This initiative was greatly needed during the months they waited for crops to harvest. 

The authors’ late aunt toted water from the wells on South Caicos when she was a little girl.

Locals ensured that their food lasted long, salting fish, beef (from East Caicos), and pork. They kept pigeon peas, beans, and corn in “crocus” sacks (in their lofts) for tough times; gathered firesticks for cooking, and toted water from wells for washing and cleaning. Dried corn from the fields on the Caicos Islands was ground in hand-operated grinders and sifted using handmade “fanner” baskets. With what the land and sea was able to provide, Islanders turned into beloved Turks & Caicos staples such as peas ‘n’ grits, steamed fish, and pea soup ‘n’ dough.

However, during these years, many Turks & Caicos Islanders left their homes for better economic opportunities, such as in The Bahamas, where many of them still reside today. This exodus can be attributed to the declining salt industry, but also the hope for a better life for themselves and their family.

The tides of the economy would begin to shift once development in Providenciales was approved—the first hotel (third in the country) was built in 1970. Along with developing the infrastructure for roads and an airport, these were the first seeds planted (aside from the Islands’ inherent beauty) for tourism to grow. The subsequent opening of Club Med Turkoise in 1984, along with various resorts in the 1990s propelled the country into the  luxury tourism destination it is today. Visitor numbers steadily increased once American Airlines started running a daily flight route between Miami International Airport and Providenciales International Airport in 1992.

The Admiral’s Arms hotel on South Caicos boasted 14 rooms by the late 1960s. It overlooked the busy fishing community of Cockburn Harbour. It is now home to the School for Field Studies.

This new era brought about not only a new migrant workforce, but also the transformation of the local population. People embraced the change and joined the new service and hospitality industry, becoming taxi drivers, housekeepers, groundskeepers, chefs, waitstaff, concierages, and resort managers.

These changes can be seen in the census data.According to the Turks & Caicos Islands Statistics Authority, in the year 1990, the population was estimated to be 11,465, double what it was in 1970—and Turks & Caicos Islanders made up 69% of this population. By 2000, the population reached an estimated 18,000. As of 2024, the population has tripled from the year 2000 with an estimated 50,000 people living on the Islands. 

Present day

Much of the tragedy that befell the previous generations—fishermen lost at sea, children dying young of pneumonia, back-breaking work in the salinas—has been almost completely erased. Globalisation and advancements in technology have transformed the landscape of everyday life for the Turks & Caicos Islander. Advancements in health care are notable with the opening in 2010 of the Level 2 hospitals, Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales and the Cockburn Town Medical Centre in Grand Turk. Even the funeral process has evolved, with people no longer having to be buried the same day they pass away, allowing for ample time to plan a funeral and bring in relatives from near and far. 

A plane making the descent into Providenciales’ airport with the Chalk Sound cays in view. Note the complete absence of homes on the peninsula in the 1970s!

The tourism industry has cemented itself in the bedrock of the country, with the Islands boasting an abundance of hotels, resorts, and villas to meet the growing demand. The number of visitors has increased each year, with the exception of the pandemic years. As of 2025, TCI has reached a record-breaking number of 1.9 million visitors. This is a great feat for the local tourism industry, but while the tourist spends a week in pure indulgence and relaxation, they are insulated from the reality for many locals.

A harsh reality

It only takes one Facebook search to confront this reality. A plethora of complaints exist in local forums, with mounting concerns of overcrowding, rising housing costs, traffic congestion, and the unequal development of Providenciales in comparison to the family islands. Feelings of disillusionment with the prosperity that tourism once promised is widespread. 

These complaints are not unfounded, as many Islanders felt firsthand the consequences of this overreliance on the tourism industry, with the COVID-19 pandemic and various hurricanes destabilizing their sources of income. 

These are clear examples that highlight the need for diversification. Perhaps with ingenuity, initiative, and fresh perspectives, new routes for abundance can be paved and interest renewed. For instance, investigating greener sources of energy can lessen the reliance on imported fuel. Moreso, it is best to remember that adhering to environmental and ethical standards in our various economic sectors (and not just purporting that we do) is key to our stability in the coming decades, as climate change takes effect. 

These Islands have given us beaches, and with it we built resorts that rival castles. We gave tourists their dream vacation. But TCI has so much more to offer. 

One day in the future

There are an innumerable amount of ideas to be plucked from the baskets of imagination that lie within all generations, both young and old. All have interests that exist outside of “traditional” pathways and they should not be discouraged from pursuing them. Although they may seem unfathomable now, they may lead to economic growth that others cannot foresee. It is the older generation that understands best the pain of missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. Many had to settle for the opportunities afforded them. Their gratitude was always apparent, but they had the foresight to know their children and themselves deserved better.

St. George’s Anglican Church is one of the oldest buildings on South Caicos, completed in 1869 with stone quarried from Long Cay.

It is from this realisation that we can say with certainty that the foundation we stand on is not only tourism, but those who lived before us. The struggles of life made them hardworking, innovative, and faithful. They instilled in their progeny intelligence, purpose, love for family and community, and faith in God during times of tragedy. They transfigured trees into boats, fashioned sisal into rope and baskets, transformed barren lands into fields of splendor, and turned limited resources into filling meals. We must not take their labour of love for granted. 

Their hard choices have appreciated into the country we know today and their hopes for future generations have been fulfilled. Some of them never received a secondary or tertiary education, but the grandchildren of these brilliant and creative people of days past can proudly state they have done so. In that case, we can be sure that in the coming decades, our future generations can claim they have lived our dreams, too. 

It is tempting to see that future as distant and hazy as an old memory. With time that fog will clear—we will wake up, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and see the world in sharper focus. Only then can we look back at the roads we paved to make way for our present moment.

It is a rare few who have been gifted with the ability to see through that mist which is time. Hopefully we can listen to those visionaries whilst they still live among us. Their bodies are weathered from the storms of life, but their gazes are steady, focused on building the roads ahead. 

Life has given us the present moment, and with it, we must wield its power to make decisive choices. With this in mind, we should manifest the futures we imagine.

Historical accounts come from the authors’ grandmother, Thelma Lightbourne, who is from Middle Caicos. Population and visitor statistics came from the TCI Statistics Authority.