WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao residents, businesses, and civil society organizations will be given opportunities to express their views on the future of tourism development, but their recommendations will not be binding on the government under a newly established tourism management structure.
The arrangement forms part of the Carrying Capacity Implementation Structure (CCIS), created through a national decree dated September 10, 2026, and received by the Curaçao Parliament on October 9.
The government says the new structure is intended to ensure that tourism development takes account of the island's social, economic, and environmental limitations.
However, the decree places final decision-making authority with a steering committee of seven ministers, while community representatives will participate through advisory platforms.
Two consultation platforms will be established to provide input on proposed tourism policies.
The first will focus on community participation and Curaçao's competitiveness as a tourism destination.
The second will address diversity and the preservation of the island's identity and distinctive character.
The secretariat responsible for preparing policy proposals must consult these platforms before submitting recommendations to the ministerial steering committee.
Nevertheless, the advice provided by residents, businesses, and civil society representatives will not be legally binding.
The ministers will retain the authority to approve, reject, or modify proposals, regardless of the positions expressed during consultations.
The decree also does not establish a specific procedure for situations in which residents or community organizations oppose proposed tourism developments.
This distinction could become particularly important as Curaçao confronts the effects of rapid tourism expansion on residential neighborhoods, housing availability, roads, waste management, and public infrastructure.
The government's earlier carrying capacity study identified several areas where tourism growth is placing additional pressure on the island.
These findings have intensified discussions about how Curaçao can continue benefiting from tourism without undermining residents' quality of life or damaging the environment.
Questions about transparency also arise from the administrative rules governing the new organization.
According to the decree, members of the secretariat are not permitted to independently release reports, memoranda, or other documents prepared by or on behalf of the secretariat.
Publication requires authorization from the program manager or compliance with the prescribed procedure.
Although the secretariat must report monthly to the ministerial steering committee, the decree does not establish an automatic requirement to make those reports publicly available.
Consequently, it remains unclear how much information residents will receive about the recommendations being considered, the disagreements that may arise, or the reasons behind government decisions.
The new structure is scheduled to operate for two years, with the possibility of extension.
Its performance must be evaluated within the first six months and every six months thereafter.
However, the decree does not specify whether the findings of those evaluations will be published for public scrutiny.
The organization will be financed through the Ministry of Economic Development's budget and the subsidy allocated to the Curaçao Tourism Development Foundation. The decree does not disclose the expected operating costs.
The government's approach comes at a time when the tourism industry is increasingly discussing the need to balance economic expansion with the island's limited physical and environmental resources.
The Curaçao Hospitality and Tourism Association (CHATA) has previously warned that tourism cannot continue expanding indefinitely at its current pace and has advocated a stronger focus on economic value rather than visitor numbers alone.
For residents, the establishment of consultation platforms offers a formal channel to participate in discussions about tourism's future.
However, the effectiveness of that participation will depend on whether the government meaningfully incorporates community concerns into its decisions.
The central issue is not simply whether residents will be invited to express their opinions, but whether those opinions will influence decisions affecting their neighborhoods, housing opportunities, environment, and quality of life.
Under the newly established structure, that responsibility ultimately remains with the seven ministers overseeing Curaçao's tourism carrying capacity policy.