WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao's tourism sector continued its strong performance in May 2026, with stayover arrivals increasing by 10 percent compared to the same month last year. New figures released by the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) show that the island welcomed 65,144 stayover visitors during the month, up from 58,994 in May 2025.
The growth confirms the positive trend seen throughout the first five months of the year. Between January and May, Curaçao received 374,216 stayover visitors, representing a 9 percent increase compared to the 342,554 visitors recorded during the same period in 2025.
Europe and North America Remain Key Markets
Europe remained Curaçao's largest source region in May, accounting for 24,413 visitors, or 37.5 percent of all stayover arrivals. The Netherlands continued to dominate as the island's single largest market, generating 20,672 visitors, a 9 percent increase over May last year.
North America followed closely with 20,688 visitors, representing nearly 32 percent of all stayover arrivals. The United States alone contributed 18,658 visitors, an increase of 8 percent compared to May 2025. Canada posted one of the strongest performances, growing by an impressive 82 percent to 2,030 visitors.
South America Delivers Strongest Growth
South America emerged as the fastest-growing region, recording a 19 percent increase in arrivals to reach 15,829 visitors in May. Several countries posted remarkable growth figures.
Argentina increased by 57 percent, reaching 2,873 visitors, while Chile surged by 132 percent to 1,036 visitors. Peru grew by 123 percent and Uruguay by 79 percent. Colombia, one of Curaçao's most important South American markets, recorded 4,523 visitors, a 14 percent increase over the previous year.
The only major decline in the region came from Venezuela, where arrivals fell by 64 percent compared to May 2025, reflecting the continuing challenges affecting travel between the neighboring countries.
Visitor Nights Continue to Climb
Tourism growth was not limited to arrivals. Visitor nights increased by 12 percent in May, reaching 509,424 compared to 454,624 during the same month last year. During the first five months of 2026, visitor nights surpassed 3.1 million, representing a 10 percent increase year-over-year.
European visitors generated the largest share of overnight stays, accounting for more than half of all visitor nights. Dutch visitors alone were responsible for 232,692 visitor nights in May.
Airlift Expansion Driving Growth
Several airlines reported significant increases in passenger arrivals to Curaçao.
Copa Airlines registered one of the strongest performances, growing by 52 percent compared to May 2025. TUI increased by 25 percent, JetBlue by 23 percent, Corendon by 16 percent, and Air Canada by 93 percent. Divi Divi Air also recorded a 24 percent increase.
American Airlines remained the largest carrier serving the destination, transporting 11,106 visitors during May, while TUI followed closely with 10,251 passengers.
Cruise Sector Declines in May
While stayover tourism continued to grow, the cruise sector experienced a temporary slowdown.
Cruise arrivals fell by 23 percent in May, declining from 49,665 passengers in May 2025 to 38,150 this year. Cruise calls also dropped from 16 to 11 during the month. However, year-to-date figures remain positive, with cruise arrivals increasing by 11 percent compared to the first five months of 2025.
Total Tourism Arrivals Still Strong
Despite the decline in cruise tourism during May, overall visitor arrivals reached 105,554. Although this represents a 7 percent decline compared to May 2025, the reduction was largely driven by lower cruise passenger numbers and fewer day-trippers. Stayover tourism, which generally delivers greater economic benefits per visitor, continued to show robust growth.
The figures suggest that Curaçao's tourism industry remains on a strong growth path in 2026, supported by expanding airlift, growing demand from Europe and the Americas, and increasing visitor nights that contribute directly to the island's economy.