Why Book Direct?
When you book directly with a Turks and Caicos hotel or resort, water sports business, tour operator, or experience provider, you're doing more than just planning a trip—you're making a conscious choice to support businesses on the ground and the communities they serve.
The commissions that big booking platforms and online travel agents charge on each reservation can be anywhere from 10–20% for hotels and 10–40% for activities, with cruise lines typically charging high rates for activities and shore excursions booked with them.
Turks and Caicos tourism businesses already must pay between 12 and 22% government taxes and fees on every reservation. Booking platform fees and commissions cut further into money that these businesses rely on to weather the quieter tourism months and slower years, offer unique experiences to visitors, grow their businesses, and invest back into the community.
By booking direct, you're helping the Turks and Caicos Islands work towards a more sustainable future.
Benefits of Booking Direct
Just like how booking a flight on an airline’s dedicated platform offers you greater flexibility, booking direct with a business can make it easier to modify, cancel, or reschedule a reservation.
Many water sports experiences and tours are weather dependent, and tour operators are typically happy to reschedule you at no cost if the weather is poor or conditions aren't right. Third-party platforms, on the other hand, can have rigid or unclear policies that may make changes costly or difficult.
Some businesses are happy to throw in perks for guests who book directly with them. Booking directly with your accommodation can often get you better value for your stay, as many Turks and Caicos resorts offer special deals for those who reserve directly on their platform. Common resort perks can include an extra night free, complimentary breakfast, discounts on onsite spa services, or a more generous cancellation policy.
Price-Matching
Many businesses are required by the large booking platforms to offer guests the same price as the online travel agencies and booking platforms, and the penalties for violating this requirement can be severe. Tourism businesses aren’t able to offer discounts of 10–40% if you’re booking directly through the company instead of a large platform.
However, some businesses offer a best rate guarantee if you book direct, where they match their lowest listed price for their room, tour, or experience.
Steps for Verifying a Business
- Make sure that the business has a professional and functional website. The website should have proper images and information that clearly describes what the company offers.
- Verify that the business is listed on official tourism websites.
- Research the business to look for reviews of their services, media mentions, and potential scam warnings.
- Be wary of companies that use AI-generated images to market their products. These companies are more likely to mislead customers.