The colorful streets of Willemstad; the floating bridge; the all-day party at Mambo Beach; the endless possibilities at Jan Thiel. Curacao has always been one of the most diverse places to visit in the region. Now, travelers have finally started to realize it — particularly Americans.
Travel to the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao is, in short, booming right now, with visitors continuing to flock.
In March, the island welcomed just under 64,000 visitors — a whopping 38.4 percent compared to March 2023.
It’s what the Curacao Hotel and Tourism Association is calling a “remarkable” increase in visitor numbers, buoyed by new hotels (from Hilton’s newest all-inclusive resort to a reimagined adults-only hotel in town) and a particularly strong increase in airlift.
It’s the latter that has been the most impactful — led by Delta’s long-awaited return to the destination last fall and growing flights from the important Dutch market, too.
Unsurprisingly, hotels on the island are, in a word, full. Hotel occupancy was what what the hotel association called “unprecedented” in March, with a 78.1 percent average (high for anywhere in the Caribbean), and revenues up 26 percent as well.
It’s a moment that began with one key moment in the summer of 2022: the opening of Sandals Royal Curacao, which ushered in the island’s current tourism renaissance.
Instantaneously, Americans travel to the island began breaking records, and other dominos in the “Sandals Effect” began to fall — new interest, new demand through travel advisors, and, most importantly, new flights.
And that growth hasn’t just not shown down — it’s accelerated, with travelers now appreciating the wonders of the destination.
Now, for the first time, Curacao actually had nearly equal visitor numbers from the United States as from Holland — the first time that has ever happened.
So what’s next for the island?
“The momentum continues to grow as we look at the rest of 2024,” the hotel association, CHATA, said in a statement obtained by Caribbean Journal. “Strong forward bookings and efforts continue through the second quarter ensuring further growth in this sector.”
Are you planning a vacation to Curacao? You can learn more at Curacao Tourism.
This Grenada Resort Has a New Executive Chef
