WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao Ports Authority (CPA) recently participated in the annual "Port Administration" conference of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). This conference brought together a total of 260 executives and professionals in the fields of "Public Relations," "Legal," "Finance," and "Cruise" to exchange "best practices" within their respective areas in various sessions.
AAPA selected CPA to participate in the cruise panel. The main theme was "Delivering Cruises – Value to your Port Community," and this panel included discussions with Mr. Christian Savelli, Director of Tourism Economics, Ms. Ellen Kennedy, Manager of External Affairs and Marketing at Port Everglades, and Ms. Sau Bridgewater-Chong, Manager of PR & Communications at CPA. In the panel, Ms. Bridgewater-Chong highlighted and explained the various factors and efforts that led to Curaçao being recognized as the second-best cruise port in the world on the website cruiseline.com, according to a survey conducted in 2023. Additionally, Curaçao scores highly on Cruise Critic with a "cruiser rating" of 4.2, which is "Very Good." The island's highlights include its people, the vibrant colors in the city center, excursions, and art. The fact that cruise tourists can walk around the city center, which is reasonably close to the cruise terminal, also appeals to cruise tourists.
Ms. Bridgewater-Chong also emphasized the importance of how CPA contributes to community projects. Together with the cruise lines, CPA supports various projects for schoolchildren and with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), such as the FCCA Essay and Holiday Gift projects, involving the local community. Another significant aspect that Ms. Bridgewater-Chong highlighted is the crucial role of the Tourism Bureau (CTB), which adds value through the "Visitor Information Officers" (VIOs) at the cruise terminal, who are the first point of contact for cruise tourists at our terminal. Recently, four VIOs completed a Portuguese course and received their certificates.