WILLEMSTAD – The organizations CASHA and CRA, representing small businesses in Curaçao’s tourism and hospitality sectors, have issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Gilmar ‘Pik’ Pisas, warning of what they call a “growing and alarming bottleneck” in the local economy. The core issue: an acute shortage of workers in the construction, hospitality, and hotel industries.
According to both organizations, Curaçao will need at least 6,000 additional workers over the next two to three years to keep pace with demand.
Earlier this week, the Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association (CHATA) also raised the alarm, calling on the government to take swift action to address the labor shortfall. Now, CASHA and CRA have echoed those concerns in a formal statement.
Surging Tourism and New Hotel Developments
The organizations cite figures from the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) predicting that in 2025, the island will welcome a record 800,000 stay-over tourists. In parallel, several hotel developers—including Majestic Resort, TUI Blue, Autograph Collection by Marriott, and Epic at the Bay—are preparing for the 2025–2026 high season. These developments are expected to add 1,000 hotel rooms within the next 18 months.
“Based on international standards of 1.5 employees per room, this expansion alone demands at least 1,500 additional staff members in the hotel sector,” the statement reads.
Widespread Shortages Threaten Service and Growth
In addition to hotel staffing needs, restaurants are reporting a structural shortage of 800 to 900 employees, which is already affecting service quality and business continuity. The construction and manufacturing sectors have long been facing serious shortages of qualified labor, resulting in delays to key development projects.
CASHA and CRA are urging the government to treat this matter with top priority, warning that without an adequate workforce, Curaçao’s economic growth—especially in the booming tourism sector—could be undermined.
The organizations are calling for immediate dialogue and coordinated solutions, including training initiatives, incentives for returning diaspora, and potentially controlled labor import to stabilize the workforce.
