WILLEMSTAD – American visitors continue to represent one of Curaçao's most economically significant tourism markets, spending an average of US$407 per person per day, nearly twice the US$206 spent by visitors from the Netherlands, according to figures published by the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB).
The spending figures, drawn from CTB's 2025 Exit Survey, provide additional insight into the economic importance of Curaçao's leading tourism markets as the island recorded 642,379 stayover arrivals during the first nine months of 2026.
Although the Netherlands remains Curaçao's largest source market in terms of visitor numbers, Americans spend considerably more per day during their stay.
In September 2026, the Netherlands accounted for 18,740 stayover arrivals, representing approximately 29 percent of all visitors that month. This was an increase of 6 percent compared to September 2025.
Dutch tourists also recorded the longest average stay among the island's major source markets, spending approximately 11.8 nights in Curaçao.
According to CTB, 56 percent of Dutch visitors selected alternative accommodations, while 44 percent stayed in resort hotels.
The United States ranked second with 15,876 visitors in September, an increase of 20 percent compared to the same month last year.
American visitors stayed an average of 5.8 nights, considerably shorter than their Dutch counterparts. However, their higher average daily expenditure makes the United States particularly important in terms of tourism spending.
Approximately 68 percent of American visitors stayed in resort hotels, while 32 percent chose alternative accommodations.
Based on the average daily spending figures from the 2025 survey and the September 2026 average lengths of stay, an American visitor would spend approximately US$2,361 during a typical visit, compared with approximately US$2,431 for a Dutch visitor.
These illustrative calculations suggest that although American tourists spend substantially more each day, the longer stays of Dutch visitors can result in a comparable amount of spending per trip.
Colombia remained Curaçao's third-largest source market in September, recording 4,737 visitors, an increase of 25 percent compared to September 2025.
Colombian tourists stayed an average of 5.4 nights, compared to 5.0 nights a year earlier.
Their average daily expenditure was US$275 per person, according to CTB's 2025 Exit Survey.
Approximately 63 percent of Colombian visitors selected resort hotels, while 37 percent stayed in alternative accommodations.
The figures demonstrate that Curaçao's three largest tourism markets contribute to the economy in different ways, reflecting differences in travel duration, spending patterns, and accommodation preferences.
The broader tourism figures for the first nine months of 2026 show continued expansion.
Between January and September, Curaçao welcomed 642,379 stayover visitors, compared with 581,144 during the corresponding period in 2025.
This represents an increase of approximately 11 percent, or 61,235 additional visitors.
Together, these visitors generated approximately 5.3 million visitor nights, an increase of 10 percent.
The Netherlands remained the largest source market during the nine-month period, with 196,350 visitors, accounting for approximately 31 percent of the total.
The United States followed with 169,714 visitors, representing 26 percent.
Colombia ranked third with 44,072 visitors, followed by Canada with 36,676, Brazil with 33,403, and Argentina with 30,358.
These figures also illustrate the growing importance of North and South American markets alongside Curaçao's traditional European visitor base.
Cruise tourism contributed further to the expansion, with 648,450 cruise passengers arriving between January and September, an increase of 10 percent compared to the same period last year.
With three months remaining in 2026, Curaçao has already exceeded 640,000 stayover arrivals and continues to report year-on-year growth in every month.
The CTB figures point to a strong tourism year, although the economic impact will ultimately depend on factors beyond arrival numbers, including visitor expenditure, length of stay, operating costs, and the extent to which tourism revenues remain within the local economy.
The different spending patterns of Dutch, American, and Colombian visitors underline why tourism performance cannot be measured by arrival figures alone.
For Curaçao's tourism industry, attracting visitors who spend more, stay longer, and support a wider range of local businesses remains an important consideration as the sector continues to expand.