WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao's tourism industry continued its strong performance in October 2026, welcoming 68,162 stayover visitors, an increase of 12 percent compared to the same month last year. The latest figures released by the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) show that growth was particularly strong among visitors from South America, the Caribbean, and North America.
According to the CTB report published on November 10, Curaçao received 7,148 more stayover visitors than in October 2025, when 61,014 arrivals were recorded.
The increase reflects continued demand for Curaçao as a Caribbean vacation destination, with several international markets contributing to the island's tourism growth.
South America recorded the strongest regional growth, with arrivals increasing by 26 percent compared to October 2025. The Caribbean followed with an 18 percent increase, while North America registered growth of 15 percent.
Europe, traditionally Curaçao's largest source region, recorded a more modest increase of 2 percent.
The higher number of arrivals also translated into increased overnight stays.
During October, visitors spent a combined 543,192 nights on the island, representing an increase of 11 percent compared to the same month last year.
The average length of stay remained stable at approximately eight nights, indicating that the increase in visitor nights was primarily driven by the higher number of arrivals rather than longer vacations.
Accommodation preferences showed that resort hotels remained the most popular option among international visitors.
According to CTB, 55 percent of stayover tourists selected resort hotels, while the remaining 45 percent stayed in alternative accommodations, including vacation rentals and other lodging options.
The figures demonstrate the importance of both traditional hotels and alternative accommodations in meeting demand from international travelers.
Cruise tourism also registered a significant increase during October.
Curaçao welcomed 73,705 cruise passengers aboard 23 cruise ship calls, compared to 53,360 passengers and 22 calls in October 2025.
This represents an increase of approximately 38 percent in cruise passenger arrivals, despite the number of ship calls rising by only one.
The figures indicate that larger passenger volumes were accommodated during the month, contributing to additional activity in Willemstad and the island's tourism-related businesses.
The October results add to a strong performance during the first ten months of 2026.
Between January and October, Curaçao welcomed 710,538 stayover visitors, an increase of 11 percent compared to the 642,158 visitors recorded during the same period in 2025.
These visitors generated approximately 5.8 million overnight stays, representing growth of 10 percent.
Cruise passenger arrivals also increased during the January-to-October period, reaching 722,155 passengers, up 12 percent compared to last year.
The results come as Curaçao prepares for the winter tourism season, traditionally one of the busiest periods for the island's hospitality and aviation industries.
With international arrivals continuing to increase and cruise tourism showing strong growth, the latest figures suggest that Curaçao is entering the final months of 2026 with sustained demand from its major tourism markets.
The performance also highlights the growing importance of maintaining adequate airport capacity, accommodation availability, transportation services, and tourism infrastructure as visitor numbers continue to rise.