WILLEMSTAD - Tourism on Curaçao is doing better than expected after two bad corona years. But the expensive dollar can throw a spanner in the works. “It will certainly affect tourism. The question is: how big are the consequences?”
In the month of June, a record number of more than 9,500 Americans visited Curaçao. A total of 37,541 tourists came. The island's tourism board is proud to report that it is the first time such high visitor numbers have been reported in the off-season month.
European tourists are also important for Curaçao. Of these, 15,000 were visitors from the Netherlands; 13 percent more than in June 2019. About 1,800 holidaymakers from Germany and Belgium flew to the island last month.
These are good figures for the island, which saw tourism decline significantly in 2020 and 2021 due to corona measures. Curaçao recovered 96 percent of tourist arrivals in the first six months of this year. In the past six months, 227,000 travelers visited Curaçao.
Good and bad news
The figures are higher than expected and that is good news, according to the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce. Nevertheless, according to chairman Billy Jonckheer, growth in the coming months will be influenced by the stronger dollar.
In the past twenty years, a euro has always been worth more than a dollar. In 2008, one euro had a record value of $1.60. The euro is now more or less equal to the dollar. That means American tourists in Europe can buy significantly more with their dollars than a year ago. That is, about 15 percent more.
For Europeans, a visit to America is suddenly much more expensive. This also applies to other countries that are monetary-linked to the US dollar, such as Curaçao.
Cancellations
An owner of apartments that are especially popular with the Dutch says he is "very concerned" about the consequences. "People who were planning to come to Curaçao later this year, decide not to come anyway."
According to the manager, the costs are 25 to 30 percent more expensive than last year. “And that is too much for many people.”
At the same time, the fear is that the increasing flow of Americans will decrease again, because a visit to Europe is now much cheaper for them.
“Many Americans often consider Europe to be expensive. Now that it is getting cheaper for them, they are taking the opportunity and going to Paris, Rome and Amsterdam instead of a Caribbean beach.”
Expensive dollar or not: more visitors are expected for Curaçao
Business owners in Curaçao know that they can do nothing about the international monetary situation. According to Chamber of Commerce chairman Jonckheer, there is a high oil price and a war, which means that many traders do not want to take any risks and traditionally fall back on the dollar. "Curaçao has no influence on that situation."
He calls it a pity that the upward trend in tourism is threatened. But the Curaçao tourism board CTB is keeping up and says it still sees a great demand for this destination. Expensive dollars or not, the agency expects to be able to present high figures again in the coming months.
A survey among business owners makes it clear that not everyone in the tourism sector shares that optimism.
