WILLEMSTAD – The recent approval for Schiphol Airport to raise its airport fees is not expected to have a major negative impact on tourism to Curaçao, according to Hugo Clarinda, acting director of the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB). 

Schiphol has received permission to increase its tariffs, which could potentially affect ticket prices on flights departing from the Netherlands, including those to Curaçao. However, Clarinda believes the overall effect will be limited. 

Clarinda said the CTB is closely monitoring the situation. “Prices are rising everywhere in the world,” he commented, “but it remains unclear what the exact impact will be on flights from Schiphol to Curaçao.” 

He pointed out that the fee increase is not a measure targeting Curaçao alone; all flights departing from Schiphol will be affected. “Because of this, we don’t expect Curaçao to be at a disadvantage compared to other destinations,” Clarinda added. 

The 41% increase applies primarily to general airport costs such as the airport tax and services offered by Schiphol, rather than directly to airline ticket prices. “This doesn’t automatically mean that flight tickets will become significantly more expensive,” he explained. 

Although detailed information is still scarce, Clarinda does not anticipate tourists will stop traveling to the island because of the change. “At this point, the increase does not seem large enough to deter people from visiting,” he said. 

Still, he emphasized that the CTB will be able to make a more informed judgment once clearer details emerge. “Once we better understand the specifics of the fee increase, we can more accurately analyze the real impact on Curaçao.”