Vision of Minister Ruisandro Cijntje on tourism
WILLEMSTAD - On a day like today, September 27th, as we celebrate World Tourism Day, as the Minister of Economic Development, I want to express words of gratitude and encouragement to all those in the tourism sector, those who believe in its potential and work tirelessly every day to enhance the sector. We are a lovely country made up of wonderful people. In 2023, up until August, we have welcomed to our island a total of 373,068 stayover tourists, which is 17% more than the same month last year, and 459,590 cruise tourists, which is 61% more than the same month last year, who have come to enjoy what we have to offer."
"Our tourism product has always been primarily our natural assets, such as our sea, beaches, and landscapes, but this does not set us apart significantly from other tourism destinations in the Caribbean. There are islands that are more mature in this sector since their gross domestic product consists of more than 80% from tourism. In Curaçao, we have a 30% contribution of tourism to our gross domestic product, and we expect this to continue growing in the coming years. This requires us to take this sector and its impact on our country more seriously. Therefore, in my vision, I advocate for us to move towards a tourism industry. This means that every company and sector that sells any product or provides any service to tourists is also part of the tourism industry and needs to be stimulated. This gives us the opportunity to expand our tourism industry further by connecting it to other sectors in our economy. The tourist focuses on the experience they will have in our country during their stay. Together, we must make this experience unforgettable. From where they stay, where they eat, where they shop, to where they visit, recreate, interact with our local people, and learn about our culture and history."
"By implementing the Strategic Tourism Destination Development Plan, we are placing a clear emphasis on managing our tourism product, in addition to investments in marketing and increasing the available airlift. With this, I want to illustrate that we will continue to invest in diversifying tourism niches, such as medical and wellness tourism, in cleaning our country, in the security of our tourist areas, in the capacity of our local workforce to work in tourism, in the development of new recreational areas, in the development of our beaches, and more. What's important is that our largest export sector, tourism, is connected to sectors such as agriculture and the creative sector, among others, in order to retain as much foreign currency as possible in our country and thereby maximize our income from tourism."
"As the responsible Minister for the development of our economy and specifically tourism, I am committed to investing in tourism in the coming years so that the income and impact of tourism can also become greater. However, I primarily do this so that our people can benefit, whether as workers in the sector with a good salary or as entrepreneurs in the sector with good income. Together, as a tourism industry, we can change the current image of being a minimum wage industry.
This year's theme for World Tourism Day is 'Tourism and Green Investments.' With this, I emphasize the importance of not only continuing to develop our tourism industry for prosperity but also doing so inclusively, sustainably, and resiliently, where equal attention is given to the care and maintenance of our natural resources and the capacity and value of our human resources."