Curaçao
The Island of Tourism!
Tourism is one of the biggest mainstays of Curaçao's economy. In only a 10 year period (2004-2014), Curaçao had became the island with the largest growth in tourism with a 102.3% increase. By the end of 2014, a total of 453,270 tourists had visited Curaçao with a sum of 3,996,00 days altogether. The Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) and the Minister of Economic Development (Mr. Stanley Palm), had calculated the effect on the island's tourism sector to have an impact of 763.5 million guilders on Curaçao's economy. With the major changes in demand for accommodation and travel destinations, the country will be needing to keep up with taking care of the large numbers of visitors by opening new businesses and services,
Cruises
In 2013, Curaçao had been ranked number one in "Cruise Insight Magazine's" autumn issue of "World's Top 50 Cruise Ports of Call Ranked by Passenger Growth" and had also brought a first time ranking into the magazine's "World's Top 50 Ports". After the south Caribbean had recovered from a five year slump, the Dutch island finally had found its breakthrough with a 2.7% increase in cruise arrivals in 2013. With Curaçao's growing popularity, the demand in cruise lines has been further increased to meet up with the total number of expected visitors in the oncoming years.
Hotels and Resorts
Renovated and new hotels properties attest to the demand and efforts of Curaçao tourism officials to raise awareness in U.S and Canadian markets. According to the Curaçao Tourism Corp, U.S and Canadians had numbered 54,000 out of 240,000 visitors in 2006. With the 8% increase in 2012's stay-over visitors and the 15% increase in bed nights, the demand in hotels and resorts has continued to steadily rise.