WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao Economic Zone has been a favorite destination for merchandise buyers from the Dominican Republic for a long time, who come to Curaçao to make purchases for resale in the Dominican market. Recently, a group of buyers from the Dominican Republic initiated an effort led by Curaçao Industrial and International Trade Development Company N.V. (CURINDE) to regain the flow of buyers from the Dominican Republic in our economic zones. On this occasion, Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Ruisandro Cijntje, welcomed the group and expressed Curaçao's ambition to become once again a preferred destination for Dominican Republic traders to conduct their purchases. The group was led by Mr. Radhames Escarraman and was guided through the necessary requisites for traveling to Curaçao. CURINDE expresses gratitude to the various governmental agencies and the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) for contributing to the success of this effort.
The number of shopping tourists coming from the Dominican Republic has significantly decreased in recent years. While in 2010, we welcomed nearly 2100 visitors to our economic zones from the Dominican Republic, this number dropped to around 60 in 2022. Something that certainly influenced this decline is the requirement for a visa from the Dominican Republic to visit Curaçao. The traders also expressed this concern during a friendly conversation they had with Minister Cijntje. According to them, the elimination of the visa requirement will certainly help increase the number of shopping tourists from the Dominican Republic in our economic zones.
Through these efforts, CURINDE is working to increase the flow of buyers from the region, making our economic zones a preferred destination for their purchases once again.