WILLEMSTAD - April was not a great month for CASHA, the association for local tourist entrepreneurs. The occupancy rate of accommodations dropped to 55 percent, compared to 86 percent in March. 

Car rentals and attractions maintained a stable occupancy rate of 78 percent in both March and April. Dive centers saw an improvement from 33 percent in March to 50 percent in April, but this remains well below the level of April last year, when they reached an occupancy rate of 80 percent. 

Currently, CASHA has more than 95 members, including 53 accommodations, which collectively represent 25 percent of the rooms in the alternative accommodation sector. Although only 55 percent of the members have reported their occupancy figures, CASHA finds the April figures significant. 

All sectors share a common concern: a decrease in bookings, with some members not having received any bookings for the rest of the year yet. This is likely due to various factors, including increased overall supply, more black-market rentals with lower costs for landlords, an increase in rooms in large resorts, and the general rise in costs for both tickets and accommodation. 

Furthermore, several members report that their guests are experiencing difficulties visiting beaches and attractions due to long lines of tour buses.