WILLEMSTAD – More than half of the money spent by tourists in Curaçao does not remain in the local economy, raising questions about how much the island is actually benefiting from its rapidly expanding tourism industry.
According to the new Tourism Carrying Capacity Study, approximately 58 percent of tourism spending leaks out of Curaçao’s economy through foreign ownership, imports and international supply chains.
The study was commissioned by the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) and the Ministry of Economic Development and conducted by Sustainable Travel International and George Washington University.
The findings highlight a significant challenge for Curaçao: tourism continues to grow rapidly, but the economic benefits retained by the local community are not increasing at the same pace.
Tourism now accounts for almost one-third of Curaçao’s gross domestic product. According to the study, the sector’s total economic contribution increased from $1.8 billion in 2019 to $2.7 billion in 2024.
Stayover tourism has expanded significantly as well. Curaçao welcomed nearly 465,000 stayover visitors in 2019, compared with more than 700,000 in 2024, representing growth of approximately 50 percent.
If the current growth trajectory continues, the island could receive approximately 1.5 million stayover visitors annually by 2030.
However, the researchers caution that attracting more visitors does not automatically translate into a proportional increase in economic benefits for Curaçao.
The study also finds that visitor spending remains below regional averages.
In 2024, a stayover visitor spent an average of $231 per day in Curaçao, compared with a regional average of $242.
The difference is considerably greater in the cruise sector. Cruise passengers spend an average of $78 per day in Curaçao, compared with a regional average of $105.
Combined with the estimated 58 percent leakage from the economy, those spending patterns mean that a substantial portion of the value generated by Curaçao’s tourism growth ultimately leaves the island.
The researchers therefore recommend shifting the focus of tourism policy away from visitor numbers alone and toward how much economic value each visitor generates for Curaçao.
Among the recommendations is greater integration of local businesses into tourism supply chains. Fiscal incentives and investment policies could also be more closely tied to tourism development that retains greater economic value on the island.
Without such measures, the study warns, Curaçao could continue breaking tourism records while a disproportionately large share of the resulting economic benefits flows abroad.