Reef Keeper Program Shows the Power of Tourism Giving Back to Nature

The Turks & Caicos Reef Fund is celebrating the continued success and growth of its Reef Keeper program, a hospitality partnership initiative that is directly funding marine conservation initiatives across the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Photo Source: Experience Turks & Caicos

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, participating Reef Keeper partner Wymara Resort + Villas, who’s tag line is ‘Luxury with a Conscience’, raised nearly $30,000 through optional guest contributions. These results demonstrate that visitors want meaningful ways to give back to the environment they came to enjoy.

The Reef Keeper program invites hotels and resorts to add a simple optional $2-$5 per night conservation contribution to guest stays, with funds going directly towards local marine conservation projects led by TCRF. These include coral reef restoration and monitoring, the expansion of the country’s living coral biobank, mooring and swim zone installations that protect reefs from anchor damage, and community education initiatives.

Today, the program includes active participation from Ocean Club East, Ocean Club West, and Wymara Resort + Villas. Meanwhile, Andaz Turks & Caicos at Grace Bay is preparing to enter the market as a Champion Reef Keeper partner and has already been supporting TCRF’s conservation work throughout its construction phase.

“Our reefs are not just beautiful ecosystems. They are the foundation of our tourism economy, our culture, our fisheries, and our protection from storms,” said Alizée Zimmermann. “The Reef Keeper program gives visitors and the hospitality industry a direct and tangible way to invest in the protection and future of the environment that makes the Turks and Caicos Islands so special.”

The model is intentionally simple, scalable, and low lift for hospitality partners, while creating measurable conservation impact and strengthening guest engagement. Hotels also receive recognition, impact reporting, and opportunities for guest-facing conservation experiences. Additionally, partners are expected to uphold conservation measures from banning the sales of chemical sunscreens on their properties to managing landscaping and committing to quarterly water quality monitoring.

TCRF is now calling on more hotels, resorts, villas, and tourism operators across the Turks and Caicos Islands to join the Reef Keeper family and become part of a growing movement to keep the islands truly “Beautiful by Nature.”

To learn more about becoming a Reef Keeper partner, contact alizee@tcreef.org or visit www.tcreef.org.