WILLEMSTAD – Corendon could significantly increase its profits in Curaçao by focusing more heavily on American hotel guests rather than operating its own flights from Europe. However, the company's founder and major shareholder, Atilay Uslu, believes such a strategy could have serious consequences for airline ticket prices and the local population.
In an interview with the Curaçao Maritime Association (CMAR), Uslu explained that American tourists generally pay higher hotel room rates than European visitors who travel to Curaçao through Corendon's vacation packages.
Atilay Uslu
From a purely financial perspective, attracting more American guests would therefore be an attractive business strategy. However, pursuing that approach could require Corendon to reduce its emphasis on operating flights and offering complete vacation packages from European destinations.
According to Uslu, such a decision would have consequences extending far beyond the company's financial performance.
He warned that reducing the availability of affordable flights between Europe and Curaçao could contribute to significantly higher airline ticket prices, affecting residents who depend on air connections with the Netherlands for family visits, education, medical appointments, and other travel needs.
The businessman emphasized that tourism companies operating on the island must consider their broader responsibilities rather than focusing exclusively on maximizing profits.
Corendon currently operates five weekly flights from Amsterdam and three from Düsseldorf, according to Uslu.
These connections form an important part of the company's business model, allowing it to combine airline operations with its extensive hotel activities on Curaçao.
By offering complete packages that include flights and accommodations, Corendon maintains a steady flow of European visitors to its hotels.
The company currently operates approximately 1,150 hotel rooms on the island, making it a significant participant in Curaçao's hospitality industry.
Its hotel portfolio is expected to expand further in March 2027, when Corendon anticipates taking over the management of a hotel on Penstraat.
Corendon Rif in Willemstad
That expansion would increase the company's total capacity to approximately 1,300 rooms.
The growing hotel operation creates opportunities to attract additional visitors from the United States, a market where travelers generally pay higher accommodation rates.
However, Uslu indicated that replacing European package tourists with higher-paying American visitors would not necessarily be the right decision for Curaçao.
His comments highlight the relationship between the island's tourism industry and the availability of affordable international air transportation.
Although hotels may generate greater revenue by attracting visitors willing to pay higher room rates, reducing airline capacity could affect competition and potentially make travel more expensive for residents.
For Curaçao, air connectivity is particularly important because residents rely on international flights to maintain connections with family members, educational institutions, businesses, and medical services abroad.
Uslu's remarks suggest that Corendon considers these broader economic and social implications when evaluating its business strategy.
The entrepreneur also pointed to the company's role as a major employer on the island.
According to Uslu, Corendon currently employs approximately 1,200 people in Curaçao.
He described the island as an increasingly important center of the company's operations, reflecting the substantial investments Corendon has made in its tourism infrastructure.
As the company's majority shareholder, Uslu said he has the flexibility to consider factors beyond immediate financial returns when making business decisions.
Corendon Airlines
This includes weighing the interests of employees, the local community, and the island's accessibility alongside the company's commercial objectives.
His position raises a broader question about Curaçao's tourism development: how to balance the pursuit of higher tourism revenues with the need to maintain affordable transportation and ensure that economic growth benefits the local population.
As Curaçao continues attracting international hotel investments and expanding its tourism industry, the competition for hotel capacity between different visitor markets is likely to remain an important consideration.
American visitors may offer opportunities for higher accommodation revenue, while European package tourism supports established travel connections and provides Corendon with a consistent customer base.
The company's integrated airline and hotel operations place it in a position to influence both sides of that equation.
Importantly, Uslu has not announced any plans to reduce Corendon's existing flights from Amsterdam or Düsseldorf.
His comments instead reflect the commercial choices facing the company as it considers how to maximize the value of its growing hotel investments while maintaining its commitment to Curaçao.
For the time being, Corendon intends to continue balancing its commercial interests with the wider economic and social role it plays on the island.